Campaign in Colombia“5 a day”

The Millennium Declaration, promulgated by the United Nations in 2000, is the first worldwide agreement, together with a political global commitment, focused on taking care of the poorest populations in the world. It is a social pact based on the co-responsibility of developed countries and developing countries aimed at reducing poverty, improving worldwide health, and promoting peace, human rights and sustainable development.

To achieve this objective, we need to coordinate the strategies promoting and encouraging fruit and vegetable consumption, among others, since this supports the creation of healthy environments and the improvement of living conditions. The 5 a day Colombia program has implemented regional initiatives, for creating healthy schools, healthy universities, healthy housing, healthy homes, and healthy public areas. These initiatives have been supported by the health ministry, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, (PAHO/WHO). Through coordinated efforts, the supporting organizations are working towards improving the access and availability of fruit and vegetables, and increasing the consumption of these products by children, young people, families and communities.

It is important to note that there has been some success regionally and socially in developing strategies to create healthy environments in the last five years. Now the challenge is to generalize the benefits on a national level, with the participation and commitment of the different sectors engaged in human and social development of this country.

This initiative has been promoted by the Corporación Colombia Internacional – CCI. This organization that has been working for 20 years to support farmers and, since 2007, to promote fruit and vegetable consumption through the 5 a day campaign, motivated by the current low consumption in the country (only 190 grams a day).
The CCI, which promotes fruit and vegetables, made its priority to increase consumption, so that farmers could be guaranteed to sell their products, and to promote healthy eating habits, in order to reduce risks of malnutrition, obesity problems and diseases in general.