The Unwanted and Imperfect Food

How do we choose our items at the grocery store? Do we want the most perfect individuals of all the tomatoes available? Do we have an image in our head how cucumber is supposed to look like? The farmers and producers know we do.

Even though 43% of food waste occurs at the home level (ReFED), wasteful food consumption habits are not only about people buying more than they can or are willing to consume. How does the food need to look like, so people want to buy it? Maybe the manufacturer is changing the logo and packaging, and the oldfashioned ones are not wanted anymore? The quinoa mix is supposed to be 50% dark 50% light-colored, but it is 70-30 instead, so it has to go. The supply chain wastes food for several reasons, such as; Surplus or excess inventory, “Best before” -date approaching, packaging changing, parts of fruits and vegetables being undervalued, or items being off-spec.

Of course, farmers don’t throw all of the wrong sized or shaped crops to the landfills. Unapproved vegetables and fruits can be placed to the composts and become soil again, or they can be sold to the juice, jelly, and jam factories or fed to animals. Some companies donate unwanted food items to food banks. But this is not enough. Almost 20% of the food waste in the USA happens at farms or production facilities (ReFED). We can help to bring that number down too! It’s time to stop seeking perfection while we have to change our attitudes and shopping habits.

What do you think – could this be one of the ways you can help the Earth?

_{Featured picture: Andrew Martin Pixabaystä}