HFW's War on Waste

[veggiechicken]

Love parsnips?
Wish you could grow them?
Prepare to be appalled!
Viewpoint: The rejected vegetables that aren
Linked programme on November 2nd:-
BBC One - Hugh's War on Waste

[alldigging]

He was stood on a rubbish dump on the advert which reminded me very much of Penny Poyzer's TV show where she went though people's bins.

BBC - Homes - TV and radio - No Waste Like Home

[roitelet]

Appalling!!!!! Nothing wrong with them, lots of people would have been glad to eat them. If the supermarkets had to grow their own food they wouldn't let anything go to waste. Better than letting them rot why couldn't they have been fed to animals?

[Tripmeup]

What a waste...The amount of food wasted is really shocking when you consider people go short..

[craftymarie]

So on one hand we have food banks and people who'd be thankful to just eat something and the other perfectly good food just being dumped because of some stupid bureaucratic nonsense about what veg should conform to Grrr enough to make the blood boil. Shocking waste

[alldigging]

There's gleaning for charity that I hope he's going to mention

They did Kale recently (Andy - SamuraiLord went )
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...2625501&type=3

And beetroot is coming up.

[Aberdeenplotter]

So on one hand we have food banks and people who'd be thankful to just eat something and the other perfectly good food just being dumped because of some stupid bureaucratic nonsense about what veg should conform to Grrr enough to make the blood boil. Shocking waste

yup, crazy world we live in.

[Knight of Albion]

All terribly sad - and a damning indictment on 'our' values in society.

In the first place, if the supermarkets don't want them to the point they are going to dump them, then they have no commercial value. Why not then donate them to an urban food bank group to distribute to needy families?

As everyone who has grown their own, which is everybody here, can testify, Mother Nature is seldom symmetrical!!!!
'Wonky' does not mean unhealthy. 'Wonky' does not mean less flavour. 'Wonky' does not mean less nutritional content.

And blemishes with fruit and vegetables are the order of the day, and again nothing detrimental in any respect.

And a few 'nibbles' here and there (caterpillars etc) for me that's good! A sign whatever it is hasn't been so blitzed with pesticides no living thing can even step on it without keeling over on the spot!

When I go into a supermarket and I see row upon row of 'faultless', symmetrical fruit and vegetables, it makes me feel uneasy, be it at the waste I know must have taken place and/or the chemical warfare to get them looking like that.

Last time I bought supermarket apples, they were flavourless and hard. I chucked all but the one I tried out for the blackbirds - and perhaps most disconcerting, they didn't want them either!

[alldigging]

All terribly sad - and a damning indictment on 'our' values in society.

In the first place, if the supermarkets don't want them to the point they are going to dump them, then they have no commercial value. Why not then donate them to an urban food bank group to distribute to needy families?

They often don't get picked which is where groups like the Gleaning network can come in

[sparrow100]

That is just so bonkers. Particularly that someone in a supermarket buying dept came up with the daft dimensions for perfect parsnips. I don't mind their shape, and if the condition isn't great I'd expect a few pence off. Otherwise I have no anxiety about non-perfect veggies. And I think most other people feel the same, not just us who grow ourselves.

[Bren In Pots]

It does make me wonder who thinks up these rules.

[Guest]

When I go into a supermarket and I see row upon row of 'faultless', symmetrical fruit and vegetables, it makes me feel uneasy, be it at the waste I know must have taken place and/or the chemical warfare to get them looking like that.

I dislike retail sold veg in this country as it has a price but no real value. Just over packaged, identical, poorly treated veg, it is really unappealing. I used to love going to markets and shops in France and Spain as they were so colourful, and really well presented and there is a pride - it is a shame.

Is there an address so I can go and get some parsnips? There aren't even any Mr Parsnips, I think the supermarket buyer needs to go to speccy saavers

[Potstubsdustbins]

No comment I would be banned......................

[PyreneesPlot]

It is being tackled over here to a degree, although there is of course the risk that supermarkets will only buy ever more "perfect" produce that they can be sure they can sell.

France to force big supermarkets to give unsold food to charities | World news | The Guardian

For many this is of course not the case, but if people really can afford to through away a third of their groceries (or buy a third more than they need) then food is too cheap.

[Martin H]

I understand that producers' contracts with the big supermarkets typically contain exclusivity clauses which prevent the producer from releasing crops to other outlets even if the supermarket doesn't want the stuff.

If I ruled the world I'd outlaw such contracts, freeing producers to sell any surplus on market stalls etc. or to donate to charities.