In recent years there has been a huge increase in companies that are focused on targeting eco-conscious consumers, firstly because they are progressively demanding these changes, but also because there is a rise in climate change awareness and the environmental consequences of our growing, and ever demanding population.
1/3 of all food grown around the world is thrown away for a variety of reasons including aesthetics. As consumers in the Western world, we have become accustomed to seeing perfect looking produce in our supermarkets, but it’s silly to assume all produce looks like this.
OddBox is an example of a company which is disrupting the traditional supermarket model.
OddBox, is a UK company that is tackling food waste by partnering with farmers around Europe to collect their produce which would otherwise be thrown to waste because they don’t fit the norms. They offer a variety of subscription boxes of different sizes and different produce.
What do consumers get out of it? Firstly they are able to know where their produce is coming from, as each box highlights the farm where it was sources. Secondly, they can play a small part in tackling food waste by receiving vegetable which are in great condition but that would have been thrown out either for surplus or aesthetic reasons. Thirdly, they can make a sustainable swap easily as the box is delivered to the door and is only a few £ more than what they would usually pay at a supermarket.
What does the farmer get out of it? Firstly, farmers who have worked hard to grow their produce don’t want to see it go to waste. But more importantly, it is known that margins in the agricultural business are usually very low for the people who grow produce. OddBox provides additional income to these farmers by paying them a fair price for produce that would otherwise have been left to rot and unsold.
In recent years across the UK, there has been a rise in similar boxes, independent farm shops, markets, and trends like shopping local and less waste. This has caused traditional supermarkets to reflect.
One chain called Morrisons has started offering ‘wonky veg’ which sells at a lower price in a bid to appeal to the eco-consumer and not get left behind. With this action are we seeing the traditional industry adapt from a disruption which might have left them behind?
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Interesting post! I agree that consumers are becoming more and more conscious about the environment as well as where they are getting their produce from, so companies like Oddbox definitely fills this gap. Do you think this will continue on as a global trend? I think with consumer shopping trends changing, companies around the world will have to adapt their strategies.
Totally agree that companies will have to adapt their strategies or get left behind!
Hi Chloe! We have something like this in the Netherlands as well. I think it is a good idea to reduce waste. But it also perhaps poses a complicated supply chain system demand. Your last question is quite a large one, to see if the food industry is disrupted by this idea. I wonder, is this a solution or a temporary quick fix (bandaid on a bullet wound principal). How can we disrupt the food industry by reducing waste in the first place? Maybe this requires an entire shift or new technology to disrupt the traditional ways of farming?
Thats true about complicating SC and I don’t see it as a solution for all food waste, maybe governance and policy change will be required but if more social companies popup they might be able to make a difference in the grand scheme of things? And I don’t think farming is the issue, major supermarkets are the ones forcing farmers to produce such large quantities, of a specific aspect and for such poor prices! If farming intrests you, you should read English Pastoral: an Inheritance by James Rebanks – its about changing the way we farm.
Interesting that you place the food industry in the context of the long-tail strategy, interesting to note that the increased globalisation has led to more of a demand for a ‘fat-tail’ in the food industry. I think there can be things said about the long-tail being bad and good for the global footprint overall. Because locally produced specialities are also part of a long-tail, but don’t have a more negative impact on the global footprint. So stimulating the local production of foods and indeed using digital solutions to inform consumers might be the best approaches to improve here.
Great blog! I definitely agree that we are seeing a trend towards more eco-conscious consumers. According to a survey that was reported on in Forbes, 88% of consumers said they wanted companies to enable them to improve their environmental and social footprint, which suggests that companies really should be focusing on this for the future. I hadn’t heard of Oddbox before, so it was really interesting to read about how they are trying to tackle the issue of food waste. Another idea to take this even further might be for Oddbox to partner with meal kit providers, since these services already purchase a lot of produce. Such a solution might be a good way to benefit from eco-conscious consumers that are interested in meal kits and want to purchase their ingredients in a more sustainable way. Another compelling example of the phenomenon you described is Too Good To Go, who are also trying to address this problem. They offer consumers the chance to purchase unwanted food or leftovers at a lower price, reducing waste. Based on these examples and what we’ve seen so far, I definitely think the trend of eco-consciousness will continue into the future.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2018/11/21/consumers-want-you-to-help-them-make-a-difference/?sh=31e0aea26954
Great comments, and good idea about Oddbox partnering with future meal delivery services, maybe they will? Thanks also for the article!