Can changing the way we grow food make our diet more nutritious? Bruce Traill University of Reading

Background Diet and health concerns: –Through energy imbalance leading to obesity and hence to related NCDs Recommendations: eat less and exercise more –Through nutrient imbalance leading to NCDs Recommendations: improve ‘diet quality’ including consume more fruit and vegetables for their health-promoting phytochemicals; less saturated fatty acids; and more n-3 fatty acids. Government interest in a competitive agricultural sector comprising ‘healthy food chains’.

Possible diet quality responses Persuade/encourage/force people to consume more fruit and vegetables, less meat and dairy products –But the persuasion/encouragement route has not been successful Make existing products healthier –Intensify phytochemical content of F&V –Improve fatty acid profile of meat and dairy products

Can the latter option work? Depends on: Is it scientifically feasible? Would it raise the price of such products by less than consumers are willing to pay? (If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, would the health benefits be significant; and would the outcome be desirable from the perspective of land use and the rural environment?)

Intensify phytochemical content Soft fruit – strawberry, raspberry, blueberry – red lettuce UK crops grown in polytunnels – uv light regime as a potential phytochemical intensifyer

UV Block UV Standard UV Window Lettuce – UV Transmission improves quality but lowers yield Increased anthocyanin content Reduced yield

α -LNA JuneSeptember Birdsfoot trefoil2.3 Cats ear Dandelion Knapweed Mouseear chickweed Oxeye daisy Plantain Red clover Rough hawkbit Selfheal1.7 Sorrel White clover Yarrow α -LNA of 13 plants (g/100 g DM) collected from one site at two different times of year for the RELU project

Effect of grazing lambs on biodiverse pastures on fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat (Lourenço et al., 2007) BiodiverseIntensive ryegrassSignificance Total SFA * Total PUFA ** PUFA:SFA ** 18:3 n-32.6 NS Very long chain n-3 (EPA+DPA+DHA) * 0.05>P>0.01; ** 0.01>P>0.001

Would these products cost more to produce? Lettuce and strawberries: –compared to growth under normal plastic, yield penalties are not significant and there are no additional production costs Lamb: –For lowland fat lamb there is lost productivity and additional costs that would reduce the margin by £0.69/kg (wholesale) or £0.11/kg if compensated under and ES HLS scheme.

Would consumers be willing to pay?

Conclusion People appear willing to pay enough to cover extra production costs, but –While science is promising it is not yet conclusive –Will supermarkets be able and willing to communicate health benefits? –Will products come from UK or abroad? What about land use and environmental implications?

I think they look nice, personally. [male urban <50] It gives me a happy feeling, because I think ‘oh something’s being done locally’. [female rural <50] I bet you would get a bonus butterfly. [female urban 50+] Once you let the lambs or the sheep loose on it, they’ll gnaw it down anyway. [male rural 50+]