From the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, to thousands of years pressing grapes into wine, to the role of citrus in combating scurvy on long sea voyages, fruit have played an important role in shaping human history and culture.

Flowering plants and their fruit are biologically important as part of complex ecosystems, not only as a food for a broad diversity of organisms, but also as a critical source of essential nutrients for people around the world. 2021, the UN General Assembly’s International Year of Fruit and Vegetables, is the ideal time for researchers to come together to reflect upon and share the importance of fruit to natural ecosystems and society in a special issue of Plants, People, Planet.