Ugly and Tasty

LaSalle College Vancouver's Culinary program was given opportunity to attend a focus group made up of industry professionals from culinary schools, food processors, farmers, fishers and agriculture branches from Ottawa and British Columbia. The focus group was held at the SFU Campus Food Systems Lab and Beedie School of Business to discuss ideas, changes and challenges encountered in distribution, connections with producers and functional roadblocks such as storage and HAACP grade facilities availability. $2.88 Billion of "ugly" produce is left in the fields in Canada alone. Produce is considered ugly when it may have some scratches in the skins, the size is too small or large, or do not grow in the shape expected. Delicious strawberries are composted because they are not perfectly shaped for the consumer market. The British Columbia and Federal Government want to reduce this waste at the farm level and educate consumers, at the food service and home levels to use our delicious and fresh local products! A lively discussion at each table collected Ideas and challenges for this study to recommend positive and progressive change in how we farm, distribute and purchase all the good produce grown in our region and how to change perception for both the industry and public. For further information about this very important initiative please visit https://foodmesh.ca/

Other Credits

Image credit https://www.flickr.com/photos/141425046@N07/

Written by Chef Claire Archibald edited by Benjamin Faber