A group of Montreal university students hopes to cut down on wasted food by buying ugly, unwanted vegetables from farmers.
Such vegetables normally never make it to grocery store shelves, adding to the yearly amount of wasted food in Canada.
鈥淲e buy directly from producers in Quebec, helping them get better revenue for the produce and we bring it back to Montreal and sell it to consumers who want to try ugly fruits and vegetables for a 30 per cent bargain,鈥� co-founder of Second Life Quentin Dumoulin told 麻豆影视 on Friday.
鈥淭hey taste the exact same,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the same nutrient content. It鈥檚 just really the beauty stigma we鈥檙e applying to our food.鈥�
Each week, the group rescues approximately 500 kilograms of outcast produce and sells it to consumers who have an appetite to help reduce food waste.
鈥淚f they鈥檙e usable, why throw them away? I like the idea of not wasting them and using them,鈥� said a Second Life customer.
A growing movement
The idea of selling ugly produce is not a new one. It is part of a growing movement that has taken roots in parts of Europe.
Last year, French supermarket chain Intermarche launched a wildly successful campaign that put disfigured and discounted produce beside 鈥減erfect鈥� items in its stores. The misfits flew off the shelves, and the chain sold, on average, 1,100 kilograms of ugly produce in each of their stores during the first two days of the campaign.
Canadian grocery stores are also jumping on the trend.
Earlier this year, Loblaws started selling bags of 鈥淣aturally Imperfect鈥� apples and potatoes in select stores across Ontario and Quebec. The blemished, misshapen, or undersized produce cost up to 30 per cent less than other fruits and vegetables.
But for some customers, it鈥檚 not just the discounts that are drawing them in. They believe the less-than-picture perfect produce is more natural.
鈥淚t鈥檚 less suspicious when they look not so perfect, so I think it鈥檚 the better way,鈥� said Caroline Galipeau.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Vanessa Lee in Montreal
