Hi everyone,
I thought this was interesting because it's from the farmers perspective as usually all we know is farmers are being told how much the supermarkets will pay them for their produce so this is interesting, as it claims that around 1/3 of the UK's and the worlds food production is wasted because of colour size or shape so this is interesting and in depth. It's certainly thought provoking.
Hi Jerry
I've only read the intro and had a quick look at the table. This certainly is very thought provoking.
I was thinking whilst reading the intro, why oh why do they not give their wasted food that has been thrown away for what they say 'for cosmetic reasons' to food kitchens for the homeless. There are people out there starving, this is criminal and shouldn't be happening.
I don't know about anyone on here but I don't mind at all if my carrots aren't the perfect shape. All produce should be used and not wasted.
Criminal. 🙁
Hey that’s quite right Alicia, we should be taking much better care of others our resources and our environment. 😊
We certainly should. Do I care if I have a carrot that isn't straight no I don't, I don't give a jot!
And nor do I Alicia and once cooked no one could tell the difference...🤔
Precisely, it's ridiculous that things have to be a certain shape and size🤔
Sadly Alicia supermarkets have uniform store footprints and they seem to want this same uniformity in fruit and vegetables...🤔
They certainly do and It's so wrong. I used to enjoy going in a fruit and vegetable shop but we no longer have one as they couldn't carry on. Very sad.
Read most of it and have come to this conclusion. It's very sad that Supermarkets have that kind of power over the consumer, perfect produce, and over the producers, farmers, who grow the crops.
There are endless possibilities to prevent food waste, from freezing produce, pickling produce, tinned vegetables and fruits.....list is endless.
I really hope and pray that we all come to the conclusion that buying perfect fruit and vegetables, or spuds, is nonsense. The Government needs to put an halt to this kind of food wastage. As Alicia said its criminal.
We have become too spoiled with all the fruit and vegetables from international suppliers which is good to a point, but to a point detrimental.
Back to Basics, find out what people did with food etc last century.
Thank you Jerry, this has made me really think, to value british fruit and vegetables, even if I am German!
My Grandparents, Auntie and Uncle were prime examples to me in growing their own and preserving fruit and vegetables.
Thank you for sharing this important pdf here. I like watching "This Farming Life"!
I imagine with providing milk and meat for Supermarkets is probably the same struggle.
Do have a lovely Sunday morning 😊👍😁
Hey very well said Snowdrops_17 and surely we should be after a great taste rather than shape and size...
I hope that you enjoy your Sunday too as its glorious weather here. 😊
Hi Jerry, my name is Christiane 😁
Its bit cloudy here in Ripon, but hoping sun comes out later! Enjoy the day Jerry 🌝😁
Thank you Christiane, you too. 😁
Very well said Snowdrops_17 . I use my freezers (yes I have 2) to the max. I freeze anything and everything😀
Thanks girl, how is your holiday?
Having a quiet day. My Aunt did freeze a lot of their vegetables later on when freezers where available.
It was in the 60th and 70th. But they had a cellar as well, so it was cool and dark. To preserve food without a freezer what an art they had perfected. For us kids it was a lot of fun 😁
Fantastic thank you and yes when self catering I always choose somewhere where they have a decent fridge freezer, nothing goes to waste😉
My mum had a larder when I was little, then moved and had a cellar and when she moved again she had a freezer. I grew up in the 60s and 70s, life was much simpler.
I would happily have that time back with no mobiles/computers etc.
Alicia 😀
"This Farming Life" ( bbc.co.uk/programmes/b094mqlx , bbc.co.uk/programmes/b094mq... ) videos: google.com/search?as_q=%22T...
Watched them all Kai 👍🌝
It’s a very thorough report.
Supermarkets have far too much power and produce a lot of the food waste before the food has even reached the shop. Farming can be a really difficult way to earn a living, coping with the weather, and then the fear that supermarkets may change their mind and decline food without any good reason.
There has been some coverage on TV about this and more public information would be a good idea. I don’t often buy fruit and veg in a supermarket, so I often buy “wonky food”. There should be more available generally.
I agree Penny as it must be heartbreaking seeing crops wasted because they won't fit the criteria/uniformity. I buy miss shaped veggies often.
May be they don't know that we have the veggies chopped up anyways...🤔
I haven’t had time to read the report properly yet, but get the gist of it. It would make sense to me for the producers to be able to cut out the middle man (supermarkets) for their less than perfect crop and supply charities, food banks, the elderly and needy at really low prices than throw it away! There must be a million and one outlets for it rather than waste it. I’m surprised with the publicity this is now getting that something hasn’t been set up to avoid this waste happening.
It would be interesting to see the contracts farmers have to sign with supermarkets as their supply contracts probably prevent this...
Hi Hidden
That's a very comprehensive and detailed report, I hope to find some time to have a read properly sometime soon. Thanks for sharing it.
Zest 
Also could sell their wonky produce in their villages. It does get me upset, that so many people and children globally are starving, because of food shortages.
If I had time and the money, I would love to have an allotment patch, to grow my own food. My relatives did, but garden and they didn't have to buy that much like we do today. It's sad isn't it... even farmers should rethink I feel!!!
Will read your article after my tea Jerry 😊👍
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Thank you kindly, Jerry, for the report, "FARMERS TALK FOOD WASTE: Supermarkets’ role in crop waste on UK farms" ( feedbackglobal.org/wp-conte... ). 👍👍
Eye-opening 👁 , shocking 😳 , saddening 😔 .
With broadening awareness, though, hope 🙏 things change soon.🤞🤞
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On a topsy-turvy somewhat humorous note:
. . . Sounds like a sort of ‘eugenics for produce’ (half said in jest 😂 🎭 ).
Sad 😔 that things evolve to such a point that a non-stereotypically ‘perfect’-shaped veg 🥕 or fruit 🍎 would cause such a revulsion as to be unsellable. 😳 🤦♂️
After all, who couldn’t resist smiling 😊 at these lovely, funny tomatoes 🍅 🍅 🍅 ( lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/int... ) — finding them endearing 😚 & edible 😋 ?
Perhaps some of the "mis-shaped“, “mis-coloured”, imperfect produce could get squeezed off into juices or chopped, cooked/ boiled/ baked into canned/ frozen ready meals(?) 🤔 so they don’t ’offend the delicate sensibilities’ of more genteel supermarket shoppers who reel back in horror at the sight of a 2-legged carrot ( foodforthoughtfulaction.com... ), a spotted/ blemished apple ( brixcider.com/blog/2017/9/6... , lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/8-a... ), or any unique ‘imperfection’ nature creates . . . . to our surprise 😯 & even delight 😃 ( nationalgeographic.com/maga... , imperfectproduce.com/ )!
Laughably ludicrous that seeming ‘imperfection’ would be tossed aside, merely because it doesn’t conform to a ‘Stepford Wife’ ( en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The... ) standard of supposed beauty . . . perfection . . . saleability. 🤦♀️
Oy vey! What the (commercial supermarket) world 🌍 has come to?! 🙃 *
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[Imagine if this ‘discarding’ was done to all of us flawed/ imperfect humans?! 😳 . . . Perhaps more than half of us would be binned 🗑 ?! . . .🤯 . . . 🤣 🤪 . . . 😯 😧 😲 . . . 😵 . . . . . Hmm 🤔 💭 . . . more Soylent Green ( en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy... ) for ‘the chosen’? One step closer to a Gattaca-like world ( en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gat... ) for the ‘approved/ selected’ — those who pass a pre-set, grocery-shelf ‘seal 🏵 of perfection approval’? . . . .🤔 😨 😱 . . . All stemming from a ‘tossing aside’ of the supposed ‘imperfect’. 🙃 😄 ]
Bah . . . humbug . . . 😂 ☺️
Bring on the imperfect, the ugly, the oddities! They’re far more interesting. 👍👍
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"Waste not, want not.” ( idioms.thefreedictionary.co... , thegrocer.co.uk/food-waste/... , upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe... , businessofficermagazine.org... )
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Related(?) aside: We’ve discounted sections in groceries where ‘less desirable’ / sellable produce have been placed. (Foods closer to expiration or imperfect or merely imperfect/ damaged packaging, etc.). Although these ‘by-passed/ rejected’ foods have been relegated to the ‘undesirable’ section, plenty of us find good/ excellent bargains on these ‘Island of Misfit Toys’ ( en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rud... ) discount shelves. Great value 💰 for tasty fruit & veg for all of us budget shoppers. 👍👍
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☺️ 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞
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* ". . . Give me spots on my apples . . . But leave me the birds and the bees . . . ":
m.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwUJ...
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How was it arrived at that the consumer doesn’t want wonky, misshapen vegetables and fruit?. It used to be quite funny when you picked up a potato that had a body and a head, or a carrot with two legs. I’m positive no one asked me which I would prefer, as long as it’s fresh I’m not bothered, would prefer no pesticides used.
Why people chose junk food. 🍔
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