Policy landscape realities of the barriers and enablers for fruit- and vegetable-rich food environments in the Republic of Benin

Poor diets are a concern worldwide and research in human nutrition has shown that a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables enables good health and can reduce the risk of some diseases. In Benin, diverse fruits and vegetables are grown but access and consumption are still challenged. This study aimed to analyze policy barriers and enablers to achieving fruit and vegetable-rich food environments in Benin. For this purpose, through a qualitative research approach, a review of 15 existing policy documents selected through a desk review were carried out; and key-informant interviews with 43 stakeholders, selected through stakeholder mapping along with a subsequent snowball sampling, were undertaken. The findings showed that many sets of policy barriers exist, particularly a lack of explicit reference to F&V in written policy, and sectoral policies that don’t consider F&V; and several challenges exist to creating policy that better supports F&V, including how the problem is framed, the actions designed to address these problems, and how the policymaking process proceeds. On the other hand, explicit fruit and vegetable policy does exist in Benin, even though it covers only a fraction of the barriers it would need to address. In addition, there are some positive governance measures designed to lead F&V sub-sectors, though better representation of consumer and other groups and better connection to research is needed. Keywords: Food, Agriculture, Barriers, Enablers, Food Environment, Diets, Policy, Benin