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A Food Recovery Story
After seeing recent media coverage regarding food waste in the United States, I became interested in the subject. The statistics that 30-40% of the food we produce never makes it to the table really struck me and I decided to investigate further. I began researching; watching news videos and a documentary on the topic entitled “Just Eat It”. I contacted local organizations that are using creative methods to combat the food waste issue. Food Recovery (or Food Rescue) is the practice of diverting perfectly edible food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it. This recovery can take place at many stages of the food production and distribution process. I found Food Recovery to be an important part of the food waste story, as it works to solve a piece of this complicated problem.
These photos were taken over the course of a three-month period from October to December 2015 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Above: Farmers deliver produce that would otherwise be thrown out, like these cucumbers, every Thursday to the Imperfect Produce warehouse in Emeryville, Calif. October 30, 2015.
*Click photos to enlarge!
After seeing recent media coverage regarding food waste in the United States, I became interested in the subject. The statistics that 30-40% of the food we produce never makes it to the table really struck me and I decided to investigate further. I began researching; watching news videos and a documentary on the topic entitled “Just Eat It”. I contacted local organizations that are using creative methods to combat the food waste issue. Food Recovery (or Food Rescue) is the practice of diverting perfectly edible food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it. This recovery can take place at many stages of the food production and distribution process. I found Food Recovery to be an important part of the food waste story, as it works to solve a piece of this complicated problem.
These photos were taken over the course of a three-month period from October to December 2015 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Above: Farmers deliver produce that would otherwise be thrown out, like these cucumbers, every Thursday to the Imperfect Produce warehouse in Emeryville, Calif. October 30, 2015.
*Click photos to enlarge!
Imperfect Produce
Imperfect Produce out of Emeryville, California is a produce delivery service that delivers “ugly” produce to homes and offices. They source produce, directly from farmers, that would otherwise be rejected and thrown away for minor cosmetic defects by traditional produce distributers and supermarkets. Produce may be rejected if it is not the right size, shape, or color. Farmers usually throw it away or compost it, as it is not cost effective to transport, distribute or donate it. Imperfect Produce is looking to recover some of this produce at a discount and pass some of the savings along to customers.
I visited their warehouse in October 2015 just two months after they opened in August 2015. Since then they have expanded their coverage (and changed theri name to Imperfect Foods) to not only the San Francisco Bay Area, but to the West South Central region, Midwest, Northwest and all along the West Coast of the US.
Above: Imperfect Produce CEO Ben Simon, back, packs produce into delivery boxes, alongside the Community Manager John Zamora, front, at their warehouse in Emeryville, Calif. October 30, 2015.
Imperfect Produce out of Emeryville, California is a produce delivery service that delivers “ugly” produce to homes and offices. They source produce, directly from farmers, that would otherwise be rejected and thrown away for minor cosmetic defects by traditional produce distributers and supermarkets. Produce may be rejected if it is not the right size, shape, or color. Farmers usually throw it away or compost it, as it is not cost effective to transport, distribute or donate it. Imperfect Produce is looking to recover some of this produce at a discount and pass some of the savings along to customers.
I visited their warehouse in October 2015 just two months after they opened in August 2015. Since then they have expanded their coverage (and changed theri name to Imperfect Foods) to not only the San Francisco Bay Area, but to the West South Central region, Midwest, Northwest and all along the West Coast of the US.
Above: Imperfect Produce CEO Ben Simon, back, packs produce into delivery boxes, alongside the Community Manager John Zamora, front, at their warehouse in Emeryville, Calif. October 30, 2015.
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