America’s biggest grocer is joining the “ugly” fruit and veg trend with sales of imperfect apples in 300 Florida stores, says NPR. Wal-Mart will sell the apples, which may be misshapen or have dents and scars under the brand name “I’m Perfect.”
While exact numbers aren’t available, JoAnne Berkenkamp, a senior advocate for food and agriculture at the Natural Resources Defense Council, says, “growers [typically report cosmetic-related] losses ranging up to 20 percent of production in a given year, but it could be higher in years of bad weather.” Apples may see even higher losses at 30 percent, according to Columbia Marketing International.
With more than 4,000 stores around the country, Wal-Mart has the potential to make a huge impact on food waste reduction. The company actually put its first ugly item on shelves last April with sales of weather-damaged potatoes called “Spuglies” in 400 Texas stores.
Jordan Figueiredo founded the @UglyFruitAndVeg Campaign and helped organize a 143,000-signature campaign on Change.org to push Wal-Mart to sell ugly produce. “The “I’m Perfect” apples and “Spuglies” potatoes are a “good step,” he says, but he hopes Wal-Mart will go further, offering more programs around the year and in more locations.