Let's Embrace The Wonky & Irregular
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We've all been there – reaching for the perfectly round apple or the symmetrical carrot in the supermarket, checking for any imperfection because we need to get the perfect ones!
Key Points
- Adding wonky fruit and veg into supply chains has surprising knock-on effects on food waste, the climate, and farmers.
- New options like wonky veg boxes can help with the wonky veg crisis.
- Supermarkets should be doing more to raise awareness of wonky veg.
- Consumers, supermarkets, and companies can do more to help with the problem.
Why Wonky Matters
1. Reducing Food Waste:
Did you know that a staggering amount of produce is discarded before it even reaches supermarket shelves due to cosmetic imperfections?
In fact some farmers in the UK have up to 10 tonnes of produce rejected on a weekly basis just because they’re seen as ‘ugly’!
This means farmers have to over produce to meet their targets and the waste often ends up in landfill. Buying wonky fruits and vegetables is a simple way we can all significantly reduce food waste.
2. Climate Change Impact:
Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
When we throw away imperfect produce, we’re not just wasting food – we’re wasting all the resources that went into growing, harvesting, and transporting it.
3. Supporting Farmers:
“Globally, 1.2 billion tonnes of food is wasted before it makes it off the farm."
Wonky Fruit and Veg Boxes: The Way Forward
Many planet friendly companies now offer “wonky” produce boxes delivered straight to your door; companies like Wonky Veg Boxes, who shared their best wonky facts with us for this blog post!
These boxes are filled with fruits and vegetables that might not meet supermarket cosmetic standards but are perfectly good to eat. The other benefit to these boxes is that they’re coming straight from the rejected farm stock which means they’re fresher and last longer!
Compared to supermarket fruit that often is struggling after a couple of days, wonky boxes tend to last over a week. By trying these sustainable subscriptions, you’re directly contributing to reducing food waste while enjoying fresh, seasonal produce – it’s a win win!
What Supermarkets Should Do
- Offer "Wonky" Sections: Supermarkets can create dedicated areas for imperfect produce, at discounted prices.
- Education Campaigns: Stores can educate customers about the importance of embracing irregular produce (and the impact of not) through in-store signage and marketing.
- Relax Cosmetic Standards: By accepting a wider range of shapes and sizes and not being quite so picky, supermarkets can stock more of the produce that farmers grow, this would reduce waste right at the source!
- Partner with Food Banks: Any unsold wonky produce can be donated to local food banks, reducing waste even further.
“All of our leftovers go to food banks and charities like Ronald McDonald House, so nothing is wasted and we help those in need at the same time."
What We Can Do as Consumers
- Choose Wonky: Next time you're shopping, intentionally pick the oddly shaped fruits and vegetables, or sign up to a Wonky subscription box!
- Get Creative in the Kitchen: Use misshapen produce in soups, smoothies, or baked goods where appearance really doesn't matter.
- Support Initiatives: Only buy from grocers and supermarkets that offer wonky produce options.
“8.4 million people live in poverty in the UK, yet food waste could feed upwards of 30 million!”
Benefits to the Planet
Embracing wonky produce is a really significant way to benefit our planet, and it’s so simple to do! When we choose that oddly-shaped carrot or lumpy potato, we’re making a bigger impact than you might think: saving the wonky ones ultimately conserves water, promotes biodiversity in farming, and reduces the land needed for agriculture.
While we can’t eliminate all food waste, we can certainly minimise it.
We need a two-pronged approach: first, embrace imperfect produce to reduce waste at the source. Second, for any unavoidable waste, make sure it’s properly managed through anaerobic digestion.
By making conscious choices about the produce we buy and how we handle our waste, we can all contribute to a more sustainable world!
