Not every crop grown is going to be perfect in size and appeal, reaching the standards consumers have for marketable food. As food waste continues to climb, some experts emphasize the importance of utilizing ugly produce.
The food wasted globally is estimated at 1.6 billion tonnes, with the wastage of edible food ringing in at 1.3 billion tonnes. The United States alone produces more than 430 billion pounds of food every year, yet nearly one-third of available food is uneaten through loss or waste. This comes to nearly US$161.6 billion of food wasted, according to the USDA.
Due to the high amount of food wasted, nearly US$8.98 billion was invested in food waste solutions throughout the last 10 years, shared ReFed. Could capitalizing on ugly produce be one factor in helping to reduce food loss and waste?
On Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. CST, the expert panelists on Seed Speaks will address the myths surrounding ugly produce, the roll the misfits play in food loss and how they impact consumer decisions. Joining us are:
Yann Cornil, associate professor of marketing at the University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business. Cornil received his PhD in marketing from INSEAD (France & Singapore) in 2015. His research focuses on food marketing, sensory perception and sustainability. Cornil’s research was published in leading academic journals in marketing (such as the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Marketing Research), in psychology (such as Psychological Science) and in nutrition (such as Appetite).
For his research, Cornil received the 2021 Research Excellence Award (Junior Category) delivered by the Sauder School of Business and was named an MSI Young Scholar by the Marketing Science Institute in 2021. He currently teaches in the undergraduate, MBA and international MBA programs at the Sauder School of Business and was named a Top 40 Under 40 MBA Professor by Poets & Quants in 2019.
Jackie Suggitt, director of capital, innovation and engagement at ReFED. Suggitt serves as ReFED’s capital, innovation and engagement director. In her position, she builds ReFED’s diverse multi-sector network, manages external partnerships and leads planning for the annual Food Waste Solutions Summit. Before joining ReFED, Suggitt worked as senior manager of sustainability at Walmart where she led a number of sustainable food and nutrition programs for Walmart’s global and private brand business.
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