Season's Eatings: How To Support Growers This Christmas
You’d think the festive season would be a great time for British growers. Supermarkets are looking to keep their shelves nice and full while loads of shoppers stock up for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Sadly, though, it’s one of the most wasteful times of year – so what’s behind all that waste? And how can we help?
When it comes to fruit and veg, supermarkets often slash their prices around Christmastime. It helps get more shoppers through the door in search of deals – and retailers know they’ll probably spend more on meat, chocolates and all sorts of other treats (festive or otherwise). Last year, for instance, you could pick up a kilogram of carrots for just 10p. Sure, it’s quite the bargain, but there’s more to it than that.
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Growers will still be paid at the same rate as the rest of the year, which is a positive. The trouble begins when low prices distort how shoppers see value. They might think “if I can buy it for 10p at Christmas, why does it cost 80p the rest of the year?” If shoppers place less and less value on fresh produce, it could contribute to growers getting worse prices for their crops in future.
And that’s not all. When fruit and veg is that cheap, people often buy more than they need, just in case. Loads of that food won’t ever be eaten, so the waste will pile up – and not just at home.
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Supermarkets only want flawless-looking produce that meets strict guidelines, like perfect potatoes and spotless sprouts. They’ll reject anything that’s “too odd”, even though it’s still totally fresh and delicious. Any veg that doesn’t look quite right will be sent for processing or animal feed – growers will have to turn to secondary markets, which means they’re likely to miss out on hard-earned income.
According to the Sustainable Food Trust, anywhere from 24-50% of carrots grown for Christmastime are deemed “too odd” by supermarkets. It’s a similar story for any knobbly potatoes and pimply parsnips. And remember, growers work hard to produce enough veg to meet festive demand – once the season ends, there’ll be loads of surplus veg at risk of waste. See what we mean about Christmas being a tricky time?
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It doesn’t have to be that way, though. As always, Team Oddbox are right behind UK growers, and we’re working hard to support them during the festive season and beyond. We find a home for their produce, even if it’s “too odd” for supermarket shelves, and we’ll always pay them a fair rate.
We love every curvy carrot and kooky cabbage. There’s no need to waste perfectly good food, just because it looks a little different. All the energy and water which went into growing it would be wasted too, which spells big trouble for our planet – not to mention all the hard work growers have put in.
So, this Christmas, join our mission to support growers and fight food waste. Shop with Oddbox between 17th - 23rd December and keep your eyes peeled for loads of deliciously festive fruit and veg, rescued from British farms and delivered to your doorstep.
It’s the season of giving, and when it comes to British growers, it’s high time we gave them something back.
