In a bid to tackle food wastage, Harris Farm Markets is selling "imperfect" fruits and veggies half-price.
The move comes in response to figures that show more than a quarter of all fruit and veggie production is either thrown away or ploughed back into the ground because it doesn’t meet supermarket standards.
Harris Farm says its Imperfect Picks won’t be rejected for having a small blemish, a weird shape, or a funny lump.
The move follows a similar campaign earlier this year by French supermarket Intermarche. Rockpool Group founder and chef Neil Perry and Kitchen by Mike restaurant owner Mike McEnearney are behind the Harris Farm campaign.
Harris Farm Markets’ Tristan Harris says: “Our commitment to freshness and taste won’t ever change, however we’ve come to realise that when it comes to fresh produce, we shouldn’t always judge a product by how it looks.”
“We want to start a conversation about Australia’s national food waste crisis and its impact on Australian farmers. 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.”
In order to create Imperfect Picks, Harris Farm Markets has changed their specifications on selected group product lines so that their buying team are making their decisions on the freshness of the new product range and how it tastes, not by how it looks.
John Lloyd, CEO of Horticulture Australia applauded the move.
“When you’ve got such a high proportion of product that’s not acceptable for the supermarket shelves, any company who takes some action to alleviate that and tries to change that situation should be commended,” Lloyd says.
As part of Imperfect Picks, Harris Farm Markets will partner with food waste charity Foodbank to help feed those in need.
The Imperfect Picks range will initially include Packham pears, Navel oranges, Pink Lady apples, bananas, carrots, potatoes, swedes and zucchinis and will be available in-store and online.
