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French supermarket displays 'ugly produce' to reduce food waste

In order to reduce food waste, French supermarket chain ±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé promoted sale of 'ugly produce' for two days. The campaign included recipes with ugly produce, in an effort to show consumers that there isn't a difference in quality.

Customers rarely see imperfect fruit and vegetables—the bent cucumber, the two-legged carrot, even the heart-shaped potato—because they are tossed away long before they reach supermarket shelves. But this year, French supermarket chain,Ìý, decided to feature these so-called ugly fruits and vegetables in their stores (in an effort to reduce food waste).

The campaign,ÌýQuoi ma gueule? (What’s wrong with my face?), was promoted over a two-day test period in March in ±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé stores—France’s third largest supermarket chain—in the north-central town of .

Each year, approximately  of total food produced for human consumption, is wasted. The  estimates the amount of food lost or wasted is equivalent to .

±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé gave the ugly vegetables their own catwalk—a dedicated area with their own labeling in the supermarket. The broader advertising campaign,Ìý starred Clementine, the unfortunate mandarin, who informed consumers that her imperfections were 

Recognizing internal beauty was central to the campaign. ±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé used the ugly foods in recipes to show consumers that there is no difference in the quality of the product when compared to better looking produce.

±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé priced the ugly vegetables at reduced prices—30 percent lower— compared to the standard produce to encourage sales.  explained one advertisement from ±õ²Ô³Ù±ð°ù³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé, created by . The company saw  the average sale per store, and an increase in store traffic of .

Globally, there are similar supermarket initiatives working to educate consumers about ugly produce. In Britain,Ìý has a  fruit line; and , is a cooperative in Portugal, selling ugly produce.