Every market shopper has their own secrets for selecting delicious fruits and vegetables, examining size, color, and shape. When it comes to bags of three or five, careful selection is even more crucial. Ultimately, oddly shaped and misshapen fruits and vegetables are left on the shelves, becoming unsaleable and ending up in the trash. Intensifying extreme weather conditions and unpredictable weather during the growing season are causing farmers' painstakingly grown fruits and vegetables to become ugly and small. Processing or selling them at a reduced price may be a solution, but are there other ways to truly make the public appreciate "ugly fruits and vegetables"?
Vegetables are becoming uglier and more expensive
The extreme weather conditions brought on by climate change are likely to exacerbate the problem of food waste from "ugly fruits and vegetables." The Guardian reported on the case of Dutch farmer Bastiaan Blok. Last year, he harvested 117 metric tons of onions, but each one was only the size of a shallot. "Last spring was very wet, and the summer was very dry and hot, so the onions simply didn't grow," 31-year-old Blok explained. Half of the onions were less than four centimeters wide and wouldn't even be processed. Their eventual fate might be to sell them for biofuel or to Poland for onion oil. Blok's experience is not unique. In 2022, Europe was hit by a severe heatwave. The World Economic Forum (WEF) noted that the record-breaking heatwave and drought caused fruits and vegetables to become smaller and uglier. If supermarkets don't "lower their aesthetic standards" and only sell fruits and vegetables that meet public expectations, prices will become even higher.
Amidst global food shortages, ugly fruits and vegetables, often left to spoil or even abandoned in the fields due to their unsightly appearance, are being thrown away. A 2018 study by the University of Edinburgh in the UK revealed that 50 million metric tons of fresh fruits and vegetables are discarded in Europe each year due to cosmetic reasons.
Ugly can also be delicious
In May, the Dutch social enterprise No Waste Army launched a crowdfunded "lunch subscription program." They sell soups, sauces, pastries, drinks, and jams made from various ugly fruits and vegetables on a seasonal basis. Thanks to the program, enthusiastic citizens, and a large order from a grocer, Block was able to sell all of his hundreds of tons of onions.
Supermarkets do have ways to "deal with" ugly produce by placing them in bags alongside attractive produce, but this carries risks. Euronews cited research suggesting that the proportion of ugly produce should not exceed 60%, and consumers will only buy it if it's accompanied by a price reduction. Dicing carrots or slicing cucumbers can disguise the appearance of ugly vegetables, but the ultimate challenge is: how can consumers be convinced that ugly produce is just as good and willing to pay the full price?
An interesting example may point the way. A study found that farmers' market shoppers were highly willing to buy "ugly radishes with leaves still attached." Apparently, the "freshly picked" image boosts sales. More secrets to changing consumer habits remain to be discovered.
References：
*The Guardian (2024/6/29),‘It’s not beautiful, but you can still eat it’: climate crisis leads to more wonky vegetables in Netherlands
*WEF（2022/9/5），Vegetables are changing shape because of the climate crisis
*Euronews（2022/9/29），Convincing people to buy ‘wonky’ vegetables could help reduce food waste
Sources: Environmental Information Center
