Overview
Wasting food can often just come down to aesthetics: a bruised apple, a twisted carrot, a dinted onion. So Harris Farm Markets is launching Imperfect Picks, a range of would-go-unloved fruit and vegetables that may not look perfect, but are just as delicious and nutritious as their counterparts who made the 'good looks' cut. Good thing is, the uglies are now available for up to 50% cheaper.
Inspired by the success of the 'Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables' campaign by French supermarket chain Intermarche earlier this year, Harris Farm aims to raise awareness of the Australian supermarket industry's overly strict standards of perfection regarding the appearance of fresh fruit and veg. "It is our hope that through this campaign, we encourage Australians and the big supermarkets to rethink what's important when buying fruit and vegetables," says Harris Farm CEO Tristan Harris. "Our commitment to freshness and taste won't ever change, [but] we've come to realise that when it comes to fresh produce, we shouldn't always judge a product by how it looks."
But who doesn't search for the roundest orange or the straightest carrot in the bunch when on their weekly grocery run? The startling fact is that our pickiness as customers, coupled with unnecessarily high industry standards, has lead to about 25% of fresh food wasted each year.
With the stats being this high, there's no doubt we're facing a food waste crisis. "It's such a crime and everyone needs to get involved. Sustainability is everybody's responsibility," says Rockpool's Neil Perry. "I'm really hoping that the… campaign grows and that it forces the other supermarkets and Australian consumers to realise that there is such great food being wasted," he says.
Perry is just one example of chefs taking part in a sustainable table movement spreading across the country, showing us that today's funnily-shaped fruit and veg can be tomorrow's gourmet offering — and proving our pickiness unwarranted.
So next time you drop in to your local Harris Farm, why not choose that two-headed potato or that wonky zucchini? Not only will you be helping to reduce environmental waste, but you'll also be supporting Aussie farmers and saving hugely on your grocery bill to boot. On offer in the first range of Imperfect Picks will be Packham pears, Navel oranges, Pink Lady apples, plus bananas, carrots, potatoes, swedes and zucchinis — all deliciously imperfect and in need of some lovin'.
