Reducing food waste in Australia with Imperfect Picks range

We have all been told it a million times – don’t judge a book by its cover, its what’s inside that counts, beauty is in the eye of the beholder . . . .

This is the idea behind IMPERFECT PICKS brought to you by Harris Farm Markets. Fruit and vegetables that might not look perfect from the outside but are as perfect as ever on the inside – and the benefits of these Imperfect Picks know virtually no bounds.

You will be helping raise awareness about the sometimes overly harsh standards of visual perfection “required” by Aussie supermarkets and even by we, the consumer.
By eating them you are helping Aussie farmers, who would normally plough these almost perfect fruits and veggies into the ground. In fact, around a quarter of Australian fruit and vegetables never leave the farm gate
You will save money – these imperfect picks will be deliciously affordable and some will be up to 50% cheaper than their prettier, no tastier, colleagues
Following on from an inspirational campaign created earlier this year by French supermarket Intermarche, Harris Farm has taken the carrot by the root and relaxed some of its famously high aesthetic standards to focus attention on some imperfect picks.

Fruit and veg that still comes from the best farmers in Australia but last month would have been left unsold and unloved for no reason other than a small blemish, a weird shape, a funny lump.

“Since mum and dad opened their first store in 1971, Harris Farm Markets has been all about offering farm fresh, seasonal fruit and veggies straight from Australian farmers to our customers.” 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. Harris Farm Markets’ new IMPERFECT PICKS range is made up of quality produce that would have otherwise gone to waste. So every time you shop the range, you’re helping Aussie farmers, the environment, and your hip pocket.”

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. This will mean more of Australia’s fresh and tasty product is taken to market, product which would otherwise have been dumped or ploughed back into a field.

“We also know Australian families are concerned about their cost of living, with a recent Choice survey finding 77 per cent are worried about the cost of groceries. With IMPERFECT PICKS being offered at up to half the price of already value for money products, Harris Farm Markets is doing our bit to ease this pressure,” says Tristan Harris.

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 at www.harrisfarm.com.au.

For more information:
Sam Casey
Liquid Ideas
Tel: +61 02 9667 4211
Email: samcasey@liquidideas.com.au