ACS has been recognised as a green pledger in the 2022 Peas Please Progress Report, highlighting the valuable role that local shops play in providing their customers with a healthy food provision.
Published today (8th December) the report has revealed that since Peas Please was launched in 2017, 771 million cumulative additional portions of vegetables have been sold or served. The report also outlines the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on the sale of vegetables, noting a drop in sales over the past year as households face increasing cost pressures.
Key findings from the report include:
- The total number of pledgers has now reached 110
- 605,331 people have been reached through the Veg Cities campaign
- 3,845 schools took part in the Veg Power’s school programmes
Polling from ACS’ Voice of Local Shop Survey May 2022 of 1,210 retailers found that one in four retailers have increased healthy product sales and stocked more healthy products in their stores over the past three years.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Local shops play a key role in providing their customers with access to a diverse range of foods, including vegetables and other healthy options.
“Over the years, convenience retailers have demonstrated their commitment to improving the health of their communities through a number of initiatives including Change4Life, Healthy Start and Peas Please. We are pleased to have been recognised as a green pledger in this year’s report and will continue to engage with the campaign to increase veg consumption across Britain.”
More information about Peas Please is available here: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/peas-please
