Hotline launches to 'rescue' ugly produce from farms

A ‘rescue’ hotline has been launched for farmers with unattractive and difficult-to-sell produce that has been rejected by retailers. The service will allow farmers to make arrangements with social enterprise Good & Fugly to purchase these surplus vegetable, which are then resold to consumers.

The 13-000-FUGLY phone number provides producers with a convenient way of organising for these ugly fruits and vegetables that are otherwise perfectly fit for human consumption to be saved and eaten. This has the dual purpose of providing nutritious produce to people and, since up to a quarter of all fresh produce never leaves the farm due to the aesthetic standards of retailers, providing a cost-effective way for farmers to maximise the amount of their products being sold instead of disposed of.

“Our team is dedicated to finding ways to support all farmers across Australia — especially during these times with the supply chain shortages and floods,” said Richard Tourino, founder of Good & Fugly.

“We’re about changing supermarkets’ beauty standards so that consumers will ultimately have access to all fruit and veg. What we do is better for the consumer, better for the growers and better for the planet.

“It’s an economically and environmentally sustainable social enterprise that Aussie farmers can get ahead with. The feedback from farmers has been really positive. They’re telling us we’re giving them an option that didn’t exist before.”

Food growers can organise the collection of fruits and vegetables on the Good & Fugly site or, of course, through the new hotline.