From Farm to Plate - Five ways My Berries is fighting food waste
Fighting food waste motivates and drives the philosophy behind My Berries. Managing directors’ Allison and Stuart McGruddy, are fast becoming thought leaders within the industry - so, it came as no surprise when Allison was chosen as a guest panelist for a recent conference presented by the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST). Central to the discussion was the critical need to create food sustainability, reduce waste and increase food security for future generations both in Australia and around the world.
Globally the amount of food lost to land fill is astronomical, but we can’t just blame the farmers and food manufacturers - the average amount of food wasted every year by each one of us in Australia comes to just shy of 290kg.
Food production is increasing to support the needs of a growing population – which, globally, is expected to reach twenty billion by 2050 - so it stands to reason that practical ways of fighting food waste needs to be addressed. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic we saw empty shelves following the panic buying of everyday staples. This highlighted, more than ever, the need for food security from home grown, sustainable food production and delivery. We are lucky in Australia because we grow enough food to feed 75 million people. However, in a country with a population of around 25 million it makes sense for us to export 70% of that to nations who are less food secure than we are.
On the world stage government agencies, scientists and agriculturalists are combining their efforts to improve and implement initiatives in farming and manufacturing. Their aim is to ensure long term sustainability and access to food that is nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate whilst maintaining its integrity and economic viability - so how have we, at My Berries, become part of that solution?
1. We use the premium berries that would otherwise add to Australia’s food waste…
At its worst, up to 50 tonnes of berries can be lost in a day, that’s over 4 million strawberries put to landfill. There are several reasons this happens, for example - supermarkets adhere to very strict guidelines when it comes to shape, size and colour and certain weather conditions can produce a full flush, or an abundance, of berries which then overwhelms the market and leads to waste.
As we remain committed to fighting food waste - our aim is to find a home for every berry. We buy, process and freeze them at their best, offering a fair cost recovery to the farmer and beautiful, tasty, nutritious berries to you.
2. We are problem solvers…
We value our environment, our health and wellbeing and the product we present to you to help you make an ethical choice when it comes to your weekly shop.
We’re currently working to create new and innovative products that we know you’ll love – watch this space for news about new and exciting berry products that are delicious and unique to My Berries.
We work with other food manufacturers to create a berry product that they in turn use in their own creations. For example, we have collaborated with Lush, Arnott’s and other well-respected Australian producers.
We regularly post mouth-watering recipes on social media so you can prepare your own berry treats - from delicious meals to deserts and snacks.
3. Nothing goes to waste…
Recently we asked our community for help to solve our calyx problem, (the calyx are the green leaves at the top of the strawberry). We pride ourselves on the efforts we make in fighting food waste, so we knew we had to find an alternative to throwing away potential food that is packed full of nutrients. We soon discovered that the calyx is a real treat for chickens and pigs.
4) Affordability vs economic viability…
We are pleased to say that we pay our staff and farmers a fair price for their product and services and, for now, everything is done by hand. Additionally, offering local employment solutions ensures we have a passionate team who dedicate themselves to bringing freshly frozen and freeze dried fruit to your door.
The social impact of nutritious, ethically grown, picked and processed fruit starts with us.
5) We are always learning…
We are learning all the time about the best ways to fight food waste and implement ethical working practices within our manufacturing processes. Through conferences, research, dialogue with our mentors and even trial and error, we are constantly learning, improving and sharing with you so you can join us as we continue fighting food waste.
It may seem that the small differences you make to your choices are too trivial to make any real difference, but just imagine if we all did it? If every one of us and every food production company took the same approach – the change would be enormous and the significance for our children’s future food security would be immeasurable.
Over the years we have developed our approach to food production to firmly align with our values and we hope in some small way we have encouraged you to do the same. My Berries will always find a solution to food waste by continuing to innovate and create the perfect frozen fruit and fruit products.
What ideas do you have? How do you fight food waste in your home?
We’d love to know!