In the wave of sustainability, and movements towards protecting the environment and limiting waste, a problem that arises is that of food waste. In America there is such an abundance of food that the sad reality is that much of it gets thrown away. Abbi Ramesh, young entrepreneur, identified this problem and came up with an incredibly creative solution that not only eliminates food waste, but also makes healthy food available for a cheaper price.
A large reason why a lot of food, especially produce, is wasted is due to the foods appearance. If a tomato has a harmless spot on it, or a carrot has split into two stalks whiles growing, then grocery stores will not accept them. As a result, a lot of “misfit” veggies and fruits, that taste perfectly fine yet are not appealing in appearance, get thrown out: wasted. Ramesh was able to connect with a variety of produce suppliers and buy their products for a cheap price. Costumers are able to survey the available produce on their easy to-access-website. They are then able to “build their boxes” full of fresh produce at a fraction of the cost of a conventional store.
Additionally, customers are given the option to become a Misfit Member which then enables them to get special deals and sign up for a subscription, one box per month (or whatever length of time that best fits their needs). Each month it is a new experience to build your box as new veggies and fruits come in and out of season. Or, alternatively, you can sign up for a surprise box which then enable you to try a variety of produce that you might not originally buy.
Ramesh is also expanding the company to include more, packaged products such as healthy snacks or organic treats. Ultimately, at the heart of this business model is the goal of making healthy food available to the masses through reasonable pricing. His business differs from other online food stores as he has made it possible to sell fresh food online, not simply non-perishable items. All in all, Ramesh’s incredibly creative business model has been extremely successful and is an inspiration to further development in the sphere of healthy food.
I think this was a great idea to limit waste. I think this type of idea could also be used to help those who have trouble affording food or are starving in other countries. We have an abundance of food in American and it is easy for many Americans to take this for granted and waste food. I think food waste is a significant issue this issue be addressed on a grander scale. It seems questionable that we are throwing away food that could help those on the other side of the globe survive.