b'WhatHAVE YOU EVER walked to the local grocery stores produce section, only to see a bin full of misfit produce? Think about it: lemons with bruises, tomatoes with large buldges, or even Would Makecarrots with two separate roots that look like a pair of legs. There are plenty marketing campaigns aiming to uplift these imperfect vegetablescalling specifically that while blemishes Consumers might lower them from usual grocery standards, they are safe to eat and help minimize food waste in the fields. Delivery services have also taken to misshapen vegetables, Buy Uglywith direct-to-door services such as Misfit Markets and Imperfect Foods, delivering ugly produce straight to consumers doors. When it comes down to it, though, whats the perfect marketing information to sell to the consumer?Produce? An Ohio State University researcher looked to see if explaining the value of these misshapen vegetables could improve sales of ugly produce.The food system is really designed around the consumer, Ohio State University lookssays Brian Roe, Van Buren professor in the department of into the messaging needed foragricultural, environmental and development economics at Ohio consumers to buy imperfectState University. The success of the food system is whether or not food is actually consumed by a consumer. Everything else produce.BY: ALEX MARTIN really has to be set up to ensure that occurs.When it comes down to it, misshapen produce is no different. Understanding the consumer is, in my opinion, fundamental for reducing waste throughout the system, and therefore making it more sustainable, he says. Ideally, its the last stop in the food system and not the landfill.Thats where his study comes into play. The study measured consumer responses to hypothetical questions all around the idea of carrots. Participants were shown different images of carrots to see which theyd be more likely to choose and in what specific scenario. We had two criteria. One: it had to be something that a lot of consumers were familiar with, Roe says. Then, it needed 24SPUDSMART.COM Winter 2022'