High expectations: why almost half of the world's food is thrown away

An estimated 30-50% of all food produced never sees a dinner plate, according to a report published on Thursday, which highlights consumer demand for aesthetically pleasing food as a significant contributor. 

“Around 870 million people currently live undernourished with the majority living in developing countries; in addition, global population is predicted to rise by an extra 3 billion by the end of the century, yet here we are chasing the perfectly shaped carrot,” said Linda Williams of the Institute for Vegetable Studies.

It's time to break the mould and accept what's pulled from the ground at taste value.

She added: “30% of vegetable crops in the UK are not harvested because they're simply not attractive enough; I mean really?... a carrot’s a carrot. I don’t care if it looks like it grew in Chernobyl, it adds a bit of character.”

Speculation of a spin-off Channel 4 show - ‘The Uneatables’ - is rumoured to highlight the plight of deformed vegetables from across the world, begging to be taken home and eaten by Western consumers. Critics argue the documentary would be nothing more than a ‘vegetable freak show’; however, long term vegetarian Linda Williams said the show would help raise the issue of vegetable misshapes and that taste tests would reveal that appearance counts for nothing when you’re munching away. 

The Institute for Vegetable Studies blames supermarkets for sourcing only the most visually pleasing vegetables and promoting excessive purchasing with buy-one-get-one offers, which is creating a ‘throw away and buy some more’ attitude. Supermarkets argue they simply fulfil consumer demand and that deformed vegetables are forever left over, destined for the bin when surrounded by geometrically perfect specimens.