AUSTRALIAN farmers throw out 277,700 tonnes of major fruit and vegetable lines every year due to aesthetic imperfections, according to Horticulture Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That’s about a quarter of what they grow.
Harris Farm Markets has recently launched their new range of fruit and vegetables, Imperfect Picks.
The supermarket will buy produce that would otherwise have been ploughed back into the ground and sell it in a new aisle for up to 50per cent less than its ‘‘perfect’’ counterparts.
Harris Farm Markets chief executive Tristan Harris, whose parents founded the company, said the Imperfect Picks would have the same level of freshness and eating quality as the other fruit and vegetables instore.
‘‘Anyone who’s tried to grow their own product at home will know that the stuff you pull off your tree rarely looks like the stuff you buy in a shop,’’ he said.
‘‘What we’re trying to do is get people to start to consider freshness and flavour the most important features of fruit and veg.
‘‘Looks should be secondary.
‘‘This will prevent food waste, support local farmers and will cost less. It’s a win for the environment, a win for the farmer and a win for the consumer.’’
Clare Collins, professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Newcastle, said it was a great idea, and misshapen fruit and veg was closer to what people can expect to see at farmers’ and growers’ markets.
