Reading the outpourings featured in the first report of the Council of Food Policy Advisors (CFPA) - a title that hardly trips off the tongue - I hope I am alive long enough to assess whether its deliberations prove to be more than another vague instrument of government policy.

Setting the scene with a clarion call for “a framework for developing an enhanced fresh produce strategy”, in my view, the report simply goes over old ground.

British horticulture is shrinking in size because of competition from exports and the squeeze on profitability generated by the multiples. Consumers are still not eating as many fresh fruits or vegetables as are considered necessary to improve their diet, regardless of the initiatives from the department of health. One interesting soundbite is that the public response to 5 A DAY, which has been widely promoted, has fallen short. Despite the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, like their parents, children still seem to prefer chips and chocolate.

The proposed solution to grow and eat more “local” produce is more easily said than done. The prime requirement will always be that everyone involved along the chain linking production to consumer purchase must make a profit.

Change is usually a slow process. Apart from the World War II years, when we were controlled by food rationing, or more recently the Stop Smoking campaign, there are few examples of altering a nation’s habits quickly without resorting to legislation.

At least the committee has paid attention to the numerous parties that have presented their evidence, reflecting an acceptance that the industry needs increased research and development, and must recruit and encourage more members to join its ranks. In the former instance, this might become a lifeline at a time when government support continues to dwindle. But such improvements are long-term strategies and their impact will take years to be felt.

More immediately, the report raises the hope that 5 A DAY can be “revitalised in a new, exciting and powerful way”, with the additional call that any campaign is also expected to focus on UK seasonality. This is obviously good news, but it is hard to see how this aspect of the message could be anything but marginal when our market forms part of a global economy. There is no shortage of fruit and vegetables originating from other countries, often produced more cheaply because of their climate and shipped by established and sophisticated suppliers, which for many years have been geared for the export market.

Overall, I have a feeling that progress will be limited by a question of how much cash is available, and how to raise extra cash - particularly at a time of economic crisis. Voluntary funding has seldom worked well and historically has only been sustained over a short period of time. So apart from the CFPA encouraging the government to introduce some sort of all-embracing radical fresh produce tax or, better still, relevant tax breaks, it is difficult to see how progress will unfold. At present, the hope that ultimately there will be more sunlit British pastures dotted with bountiful and profitable orchards, vegetable and salad farms has a certain dreamlike quality. It seems that the road to heaven, as well as to hell, is paved with good intent.