Reactions to Food & Food Waste

I know I have said it many times now, but I am always shocked by what counts as acceptable (in terms of food, especially fresh produce) to the consumer and what does not. An apple with a soft spot, or a squash with an uneven texture from how it grew on the dirt is often passed over for a more "perfect" specimen. At my home, much of what we harvest in the summer/ fall is not perfect, but nonetheless has a perfect flavor or taste; however, in the winter when I buy produce at the grocery market I too fall victim to being exceedingly picky about what my food looks like. Why must we demand cosmetic perfection when the real issue at hand should be taste? Think about it, what it looks like! That seems crazy to me, anything that has made it so far as to actually be in a commercial setting probably is pretty perfect in the scheme of things (irregular, overripe and other unsightly fruits and vegetables have already been sorted out). Nonetheless, every year 40% of food produced goes uneaten. (1) There are losses in harvesting, packaging and distribution, but an overwhelming amount is lost when buyers simply pass over a sub-par carrot or head of lettuce in a retail setting. Similarly, when we visit the farm weekly we sort vegetables (such as carrots) into 3 categories: 1.) farmer's market, the truly picture-perfect paradigm of what a carrot (or other vegetable) should be 2.) CSA, the vegetables that are "weird" too lumpy, curvy or unsightly for an average consumer to choose and 3.) the "others" secondhand vegetables, which CSA share holders may or may not take as extra due to a slight imperfection or defect. Wouldn't the consumer (especially those conscientious enough to shop at a farmer's market) prefer a locally grown imperfect or "weird" carrot with great flavor to one grown half a country away that tastes blah? Seems like a no-brainer to me. I suppose that's not everyone's reasoning is the same as mine though, and fresh food is wasted on a large scale.

This reminded me of two things: 1.) On the Food Network there was a special that addressed this issue in America and made chefs create a multi-course meal from food that was on its way to the dump (see: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-specials/the-big-waste/index.html). 2.) A recent article I read. The former president of the supermarket chain, Trader Joe's, is creating a market that takes produce and other foods past their sell-by dates and prepares, repackages and sells pre-made meals at steeply discounted prices (see: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/21/222082247/trader-joes-ex-president-to-turn-expired-food-into-cheap-meals).

Though there is growing awareness for this issue, nothing changes that much. It's a societal norm to want perfection, but at what cost. We're set in ways that are not sustainable and waste astronomical amounts. Just some food for thought!