Saving discarded vegetables! A new approach to food loss reduction

The reality that about 30% of the total harvest is discarded as off-spec vegetables

At Japan's farming sites, about 30% of harvested vegetables are discarded without being shipped, as "off-spec." According to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries statistics, domestic food loss reaches about 5.23 million tons a year (FY2021 estimate), and disposal at the agricultural production stage accounts for a large share of that.

Three causes that produce off-spec vegetables

There are mainly three causes that produce off-spec vegetables. The first is uneven shape and size. Curved cucumbers, forked daikon, and the like cannot be shipped simply because their appearance does not meet market standards, even though there is no problem with taste. The second is the impact of abnormal weather. Fierce heat or torrential rain can make vegetables grow too large or, conversely, too small. The third is the loss of a destination due to distribution circumstances. It is not rare for shipments to be suddenly canceled at the buyer's convenience, leaving vegetables with nowhere to go and sending them to disposal.

The reality of disposal and its impact on farmers

The share of vegetables that come out off-spec is about 30% of each farmer's total harvest. Discarding vegetables raised with great care is not only an economic loss for farmers but also a mental burden. The reality that 30% yields no revenue even though production costs are the same as for standard produce is a serious problem that threatens the sustainability of farming.

The limits of selling at roadside stations and farm stands

Some off-spec vegetables are sold at roadside stations and farm stands, but they tend to fall into price competition, and there are limits to improving farmer revenue. Because the image of "cheap because it's off-spec" has taken hold, selling at fair prices is difficult under current conditions.

Are off-spec vegetables really delicious?

Some people hold the image that off-spec vegetables are "inferior in quality," but in reality that is not the case.

Appearance and taste are not proportional

A family-minded cucumber that curved because it shared with its siblings the water and nutrients it needed for its own growth. A sleepyhead radish that found the fluffy bed of soil so comfortable it slept until its flesh split. The off-spec vegetables not lined up in the storefronts of supermarkets and department stores, never seen in everyday town life, each carry an untold story—one where, to put it in human terms, their looks didn't turn out neat due to the diverse circumstances of family environment or the child's personality.

The real ability of off-spec vegetables, as told by farmers

For farmers, off-spec vegetables take the same care to raise. When harvest time finally comes, they are simply uneven in shape or size, with no difference in taste itself. If anything, there are also research findings that misshapen vegetables tend to have more antioxidants such as polyphenols, because they grew under stress in the soil.

Comparing ways to use off-spec vegetables

There are diverse ways to use off-spec vegetables. We have summarized the features of each.

Among these, processing into dried vegetables is an excellent use method superior in every respect—shelf stability, added value, and farmer profitability.

Off-spec vegetables reborn through upcycling

"Upcycling," which is drawing attention, is an effort to give new value to materials that would otherwise be discarded and bring them back to life. Diverse upcycling cases are emerging in the field of off-spec vegetables as well.

Processing into dried vegetables and dried fruits

A representative upcycling method for off-spec vegetables isDried vegetablesprocessing into dried fruits and dried vegetables. Removing the moisture concentrates the umami and makes long-term storage possible. At Agriture, we turn off-spec vegetables sourced from contract farmers in Kyoto into productsas high-quality dried vegetables.

Non-food upcycling cases

Recently, non-food upcycling is also increasing. Unique products such as paints and crayons made from vegetables are being developed. While such efforts also help raise awareness of off-spec vegetables, in practice using them as food better brings out their nutritional value and contributes more to reducing food loss.

Dried vegetables are a traditional Japanese upcycled food

The upcycling of off-spec vegetables has in fact long been practiced by farmers. Among these, kiriboshi daikon (dried shredded daikon) is a familiar presence even within households.

The history of dried vegetables, beginning with kiriboshi daikon

Even though value was given to vegetables with nowhere to go, kiriboshi daikon is still seen by the general public as a somewhat plain, old-fashioned preserved food. But in reality, because dried vegetables have their umami tightly concentrated, differences in taste emerge according to a farmer's care over soil, compost, and cultivation method—a new farmhouse delicacy that rediscovers the deliciousness of vegetables.

The vegetable's natural taste drawn out by drying

The classic daikon becomes intensely flavorful. The cucumber becomes chewy and sweet, a first-time texture of straightforward deliciousness. The radish keeps its faint sweetness and even the color it blushed, as if embarrassed at oversleeping, just as it is. Drying removes the moisture, concentrating the vegetable's flavor many times over.

Why off-spec vegetables are precisely the right stars for dried vegetables

Off-spec vegetables are, in fact, exactly the presence suited to being the stars of dried vegetables. They may be beings that cultivate the deliciousness of farming and the table—ones that suit a happy ending like the fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling."

Uneven shape has no effect on drying processing

Because dried vegetables are cut before drying, the original shape doesn't matter. A curved cucumber and an oversized carrot are the same once sliced. If anything, vegetables that have grown large have more edible parts, offering the added benefit of better drying-processing efficiency.

Fair-price transactions with farmers support sustainable agriculture

At Agriture, our basic policy is to buy off-spec vegetables at the farmer's asking price. Even though they are off-spec, production costs are the same, and the time and effort differ by farmer, so rather than a flat price, buying at a fair price based on the prices at which farmers usually ship leads tosustainable agriculture.

Efforts toward food-loss reduction you can start today

Reducing food loss can begin with the actions of individual consumers, not only companies. Actively choosing off-spec vegetables and incorporating dried vegetables into your daily meals are the first steps.

Three actions consumers can take

Use stores and services that handle off-spec vegetables: At farm stands and online stores, more businesses are handling off-spec vegetables. Get into the habit of choosing vegetables by taste, not appearance.

Use dried vegetables as stockpile ingredients：Rolling stockBy incorporating dried vegetables as ingredients for rolling stock, you can contribute to both reducing food loss and disaster-prevention stockpiling.

Learn about the food-loss problem and tell those around you: Learning the realities of off-spec vegetables and food loss becomes a force that changes the awareness of society as a whole.Upcycled foodsSharing information with family and friends is also important.

Agriture, byNon-standard vegetablesgiving new value, is building a system with benefits for both farmers and consumers.Dried vegetable OEMIf you are interested in our dried vegetable OEM or corporate food-loss reduction projects, please feel free to contact us.

Recommended reading

Sustainable initiatives / Commercial dried vegetables / Product lineup / A Thorough Guide to Drying Apples! 3 Steps and Tips You Can Do Easily at Home / Stockpile Food for Stranded Commuters | A Practical Guide Compliant with Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinances

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Agriture OEM, flexibly handling everything from small lots to large lots

• OEM supported from 100 g of existing raw material
• Drying of brought-in raw materials also possible
• Support from processing to filling in one place

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