Montréal, Québec, August 19, 2021 — The Québec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) is excited to receive support from the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne, who is granting $750,000 in financial assistance to the organization for its I Love Fruits and Veggies Movement program. The Minister made the announcement this morning at Jardins Cousineau, while presenting the actions that will be deployed over the coming months to encourage consumers to include more Québec produce into their daily habits. In addition to this significant financial contribution from the Ministry, the QPMA and its industry partners will contribute an additional $300,000.
From left to right: Martin Cousineau, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Jardins Cousineau; Sophie Perreault, Québec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) President and CEO; André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and Bernard Côté, President of the Executive Committee, AQDFL.
For Sophie Perreault, the QPMA’s President and CEO, this announcement marks a new step in recognizing the organization’s program’s promoting fruits and vegetables. “We have led many awareness-raising initiatives on the importance of eating produce this year as 2021 was named International Year of Fruits and Vegetables by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. We are enthusiastically seizing this opportunity to enhance our activity program for the I Love Fruits and Veggies Movement, which has been promoting the interesting world of fruits and vegetables since 2004. The health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables are well known and we want to increase the breadth of our actions to help Quebecers fill at least half their plate with produce at every meal,” she says.
With the I Love Fruits and Veggies Movement, the QPMA remains committed to raising awareness in the community and aims to highlight the remarkable and passionate work of all links in the fruits and vegetables distribution chain who make it possible for us to enjoy healthy and delicious produce each day. The Movement is also designed as a platform where consumers, healthcare professionals, retailers, chefs and restaurant owners can share information and have discussions on various subjects, including the diversity and quality of fruits and vegetables, health benefits, the versatility of produce in cooking and sustainable agriculture.
The I Love Fruits and Veggies Movement will be rolled out via a range of points of contact: blog posts, online videos, web banners, social media content, partnerships with influencers, public events and awareness-raising tours at points of sale in Québec.
To learn more about the I Love Fruits and Veggies Movement and its activity program, visit the website https://www.jaimefruitsetlegumes.ca/, join the community on Facebook and Instagram, and contribute to the conversation with the hashtag #jmfl.
About the QPMA
Founded in 1947, the Québec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) is a non-profit organization that brings together active members of the produce sector who work cooperatively as well as with other industry partners. The QPMA’s mission is to promote produce consumption in Québec and the activities of the sector’s members.
About the I Love Fruits and Veggies Movement
The I Love fruits and Veggies Movement, launched by the QPMA, follows the “I love 5 to 10 servings a day” campaign. The aim of these campaigns continues to be to raise the population’s awareness on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and adopting healthy lifestyle habits.