From UK to SA by motorbike to get children to love fruit and veggies

After British businessman Max MacGillivray learnt that children in his country had no idea where fruit and vegetables came from, he and a friend did an epic 18000km motorbike ride to encourage kids to love fresh produce.

Eighteen countries, 5,000 children and not a single puncture later, MacGillivray completed his Great Fruit Adventure from London to Cape Town last week after three months on the road with fellow biker Gareth Jones.

MacGillivray, who heads a recruitment firm that sources staff for fresh-produce companies, has no ties to South Africa, but knows of the quality fruit and vegetables the country produces for the international market.

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"That is why I was so enamoured with South Africa," he said.

They reached 5,000 school children in Africa and 500 schools in the UK and Europe, and got 250,000 hits on the event's main website and 105,000 likes on Facebook. The more than R160,000 they raised will be used to train young farmers in East and Southern Africa.

"We have a huge problem in the UK, Europe and I also now suspect in South Africa, that children and their families are making poor eating decisions. Every morning I see the same children go into our local shop, get cans of energy drinks. That's their breakfast.

"Power brands make such [profit] margins when they sell their sugar-filled products to lure children. This is what sparked the Great Fruit Adventure. If you excite children about where fresh produce comes from, they will want to try it and get excited," he said.

The World Health Organisation says childhood obesity is one of the most serious global public health challenges for the 21st century. Obese children and adolescents are at greater risk of health problems and likelier to become obese adults. The World Obesity Federation estimates that by 2025 South Africa will have 3.9 million overweight or obese children.

MacGillivray and Jones wanted to chronicle their story and that of the growers to raise awareness of how fruit and vegetables get from farms to British shop shelves.

MacGillivray said they rode through Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to reach South Africa.

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"We ended up dancing in Ghana, having a game of football in Kenya and making bread in South Africa."

From their big social media following, MacGillivray reckons the initiative has reached their target audience. "But we still have a great deal to do," he said.