Use promo code IWELL35 for 35% off your first two deliveries of produce / pantry items.
I love it when the universe delivers happy coincidences that gently point you in a positive direction. This happened recently when a client mentioned a produce delivery service called Imperfect Produce*. I was intrigued and made a note to look them up online. A few days later, I stumbled upon Imperfect Produce exhibiting at the Nourished Festival. I thought, this is serendipitous and walked over to chat with their representative, Adam.
He told me about company’s mission and their signature service, delivering “imperfect” fruits, veggies and pantry items to customers for 30% less than grocery stores. While receiving a box filled with fresh, delicious produce sounded wonderful, the story behind the box is why I was really excited to sign-up.
The Imperfect Story
Imperfect Produce is on a mission to eliminate food waste and create a better food system. They are accomplishing this mission by identifying “cracks” in the system that have a potential for food waste. Then they recapture and deliver these foods to consumers and food pantries.
Where food is wasted in America. (Yes, the “B” stands for BILLIONS of pounds.)
Cracks in the Food Chain from Farm to Store
Ever year, about 20 billion of pounds of produce never make it off the farm due to food industry cosmetic requirements that do not affect quality. Produce deemed “imperfect” is just as nutritious and delicious — it just looks a little different.
But that’s not the only reason why perfectly good food can be considered “imperfect.” Another 50 billion is wasted before food even reaches our homes.
Below are just a few of the “cracks” in the food system that can allow food to be wasted. Food that falls in these cracks is targeted by Imperfect Produce for redistribution through their grocery delivery service and charitable donations.
OFF-SPEC
If a buyer sets a harvesting or packaging specification that is not met by the farmer or producer, it may be rejected by the buyer and potentially discarded.
SURPLUS/EXCESS INVENTORY
Nature is unpredictable so a farmer might find themselves with a larger harvest than they had planned for. Shifting tastes and trends can also result in excess inventory and buyers can back out of a large order, leaving farmers and producers with perfectly good food with nowhere to go.
UNDERVALUED
Perfectly good food goes to waste every day simply because it’s withheld or under appreciated. Take broccoli leaves for example, they are a healthy and delicious part of the broccoli plant that is usually left in the field because stores only want broccoli crowns.
PACKAGING CHANGE
When brands get a makeover the product packaging does too. Unfortunately, products in the old packaging often languish on a shelf.
SHORT-CODED
This designation means products are nearing their expiration dates. Many grocers will not stock short-coded products so they are left to expire on a warehouse shelf.
Impact of Wasted Food
Wasted Resources and Global Warming
When we waste food we are also wasting all of the resources that went into growing it. Growing food that goes to waste currently uses 21% of our freshwater, 19% of our fertilizer, and 18% of our cropland. When food ends up in the landfill, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas. Reducing food waste is one of the top three ways to reverse global warming, according to research by Project Drawdown.
Impact on Farmers
Wasting food doesn’t just hurt the environment, it also hurts the people who grew it. When you can’t sell part of your crop because it doesn’t look perfect or there’s not enough demand, it makes the business of farming even harder. Imperfect Produce works with over 150 hand-selected growers across America to help them sell more of what they grow, feed more people with less waste, and have more financial stability.
Fighting Hunger in America
Fighting food waste and fighting hunger are interconnected. Recovering just 30% of the food that our country wastes each year would be enough to feed the 40 million Americans who go hungry every year according to the NRDC.
Therefore, the more food we recover, the more we're able to give to those who need it most. Imperfect Produce donates thousands of pounds of produce each week to food banks and nonprofits fighting hunger. The Imperfect community regularly volunteers their time to support our non-profit partners. To date, Imperfect Produce has donated over 2.6 million pounds of produce. If you are a nonprofit and interested in receiving donations from them, send a note to donations@imperfectproduce.com.
In addition to conventional and organic produce, you can choose from an assortment of imperfect pantry items.
Too Good to Pass Up!
After hearing all about their mission, it hit all my check boxes: fresh, local produce, preventing food waste, fighting hunger, helping the environment and supporting family farmers. Needless to say, I signed up on the spot.
I’ve received two boxes thus far and am really enjoying my selections: Organic celery, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, spring mix greens, and carrots. I also tried some squash, beets and jicama as well as chickpea pasta.
Get 35% off your order
Imperfect Produce is extending a special offer to my readers. Get 35% off your first two boxes with promo code: IWELL35 when you subscribe to their produce delivery service. To check if they deliver in your area, visit the signup page and enter your zip code. Offer ends 5/31/20. (TIP: Signup for our Newsletter to receive other special discounts like this.)
Imperfect Produce sources food in danger of being wasted. Most of the produce, 78%, comes from nearby family farms and cooperatives.
You customize your box to get exactly what you want. The seasonal menu changes weekly so there’s always something new.
Imperfect Produce packs and delivers your custom box. To minimize your carbon footprint and make sure you get your groceries efficiently, you’re assigned a delivery day based on your neighborhood. You don’t need to be home to receive a delivery. You can leave detailed instructions on where to leave the box.
Enjoy your groceries and the feeling of helping farmers feed more people with less wasted land, labor, and water.
Check out Imperfect Produce’s FAQ page if you have more questions.
*UPDATE: Imperfect Produce is now Imperfect Foods as they have greatly expanded beyond produce.