Good afternoon friends of Care and Share!

In follow-up to Monday’s blog about food waste, we thought we would share with you some “ugly” carrots (although these carrots aren’t in our warehouse today, they were a few months ago).

Although the grocery supply chains would label these carrots as less than appealing because they are much larger than average carrots, we think they are beautiful! Much of the food that gets wasted comes from the supply chain industry, where food that is considered too small, too big, misshapen, or bruised, ends up in landfills rather than on dinner tables.

According to the National Resources Defense Council, “Getting food to our tables eats up 10 percent of the total U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land, and swallows 80 percent of freshwater consumed in the United States. Yet, 40 percent of food in the United States today goes uneaten. That is more than 20 pounds of food per person every month. Not only does this mean that Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion each year, but also 25 percent of all freshwater and huge amounts of unnecessary chemicals, energy, and land. Moreover, almost all of that uneaten food ends up rotting in landfills where it accounts for almost 25 percent of U.S. methane emissions.”

Our solution, follow the Ugly Food Movement! Buy food that isn’t perfect (or as some marketers worldwide are calling inglorious, wonky, and naturally imperfect). Save this food from landfills, while doing yourself the favor of benefiting from all of the same nutrients that are found in a more beautiful version of the same thing.