“30,000 eggs, 80,000 potatoes, 26,000 bananas, 70,000 cups of milk and 32,000 loaves of bread” are wasted everyday in the Vancouver area, contributing to the 100,000 tones of edible food products that are wasted every year in the city. Cities, regions, and nations are setting waste targets to combat the food waste problems that individuals, families, and business are contributing to at an alarming rate. For example, the City of Vancouver has a goal to “reduce solid waste going to the landfill or incinerator by 50% from 2008 levels” by the year 2020. As of 2013, the City was down by 18%. Another example, is the Obama Administrations goal to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2050.

With policy focused directly towards reducing food waste, entrepreneurs are responding to help achieve these goals. Imperfect Produce is start up in the San Francisco area that provides consumers produce (that is perfectly healthy to consume, despite being “cosmetically challenged”) at a affordable price. Not only is this proving a low-priced product to consumers, but Imperfect Produce is also able to create more revenue for the farmers whose imperfect fruits and veggies get rejected from grocery stores. By linking consumers, small organic farms, and large commercial farms, the company is able to connect the important stakeholders to help reduce unnecessary waste.

I am really energized by the startups focusing on this problem, because it is one that we can all respond to at an individual level and really see the impact of. These businesses making produce and other food products more financially accessible and offering delivery are creating a channel for consumers to get the produce conveniently and cheaply, creating an advantage to buying from a conventional store. The challenges that these companies will face are large, such as produce shortages from the changes environmental climate, scaling their services, and growing the market. However, I think that as communities become more aware of the current waste levels, companies like Imperfect Produce will be a convenient, inexpensive, environmentally friendly option to turn to.