![]() If this is the case, why do supermarkets have such rigorous criteria for rejecting food?.In fact most people wouldn’t even notice. The programme also pointed out that in years of bad harvests, criteria are relaxed, and people keep buying the vegetables. The programme interviewed many potential customers about whether they would buy mis-shaped vegetables.Would customers choose to buy mis-shaped vegetables? If you waste 20% of your land growing vegetables to be rejected, you could have used time and resources to grow other vegetables too. Pesticides / fertiliser cost of growing food later discarded.Īll these factors associated with rejected foods have an opportunity cost.Costs involved in rejecting food includes: To reject 20% of food grown is a waste of resources – increasing the costs of farmers, with a net welfare loss to society. There is no difference in taste or nutrition, it is only outer superficial differences. Nearly all the vegetables rejected are just the same on the inside. But, just because customers say the ‘would’ buy misshaped vegetables, doesn’t mean they actually will in practise. If you ask people if they would buy mis-shaped vegetables, nearly 100% of people would say they would. Yet, if you go to a supermarket, many customers (perhaps sub-consciously) choose the most perfectly shaped vegetables. In fact, you can become quite proud of different shapes (especially the amusing shapes, which I will not post on such a serious economics blog) ![]() But, when you have grown them yourself, you would never think of throwing them away. I have grown vegetables in the back-garden, and you realise how much diversity there is in different vegetable sizes. ![]() Part of the problem was 40% of harvest was routinely rejected because it didn’t meet cosmetic specifications. The programme highlighted a parsnip farm which was struggling to make a profit. This problem of rejected vegetables was highlighted on a recent BBC programme ‘ War on Waste‘ The result of these criteria is that a high percentage (10-40%) of a farmers harvest can be rejected because the vegetables do not meet these standard rules of conformity. Waitrose also said it would divert millions of carrots and other misshapen vegetables into its own label soups, ready meals and smoothies.Supermarkets have strict criteria for the cosmetic appearance of fresh fruit and vegetables. Waitrose said its latest efforts were part of an existing programme to sell misshapen vegetables in an effort to reduce food waste.Ī University of Edinburgh study in 2018 estimated a third of fruit and vegetable produce across Europe never reaches supermarket shelves because it fails to meet appearance standards, leading to more than 50 million tonnes of food waste each year. Large parts of England are officially in a drought for the first time since 2018 following the driest summer for 50 years, forcing water companies to restrict water usage to safeguard supplies. The steps should help farmers make up for any shortfall in overall yields due to dry weather and low rainfall. "Whilst the crop coming out may look and feel a bit different to what we’re all used to, it’s still the same great British quality," Lidl GB Chief Executive Ryan McDonnell said in a statement. The move will also help tackle food waste. Normally such produce would not make the grade.īut German-owned discounter Lidl GB and upmarket retailer Waitrose said they would relax size and shape guidelines for fruit and vegetables affected by the drought. ![]() LONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Two British supermarket chains will stock bent carrots and other misshapen fruit and vegetables on their shelves in an effort to support farmers hit by drought after a heatwave.
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