Every year, massive amounts of produce are thrown out in Korea and around the world, leading to environmental problems. Oftentimes, these fruits and vegetables are discarded just because they are considered “ugly.”

Even though these fruits and vegetables are fresh and nutritious, they are deemed too lumpy or misshapen to be sold. According to a recent report, Korea spends approximately 600 billion won disposing of such agricultural products each year.

Recently, a student club at Yonsei University came up with a brilliant plan to deal with the problem of ugly produce. The members of the club, named Nareum, shared their ideas virtually at the World Food Forum* held in Italy on World Food Day on October 16th.

The club members launched a business to buy ugly fruits directly from local farms. Then, the students supply them to food and beverage companies that are unconcerned with the look of the produce.

For example, cafés buy various ugly fruits to make gelato at a lower cost. Likewise, bakeries save money by purchasing imperfect fruits for their fruit cakes.

Through this approach, the students act as the middleman between farmers and the food and beverage industry, while reducing the burden on the environment. In addition, farmers save on the cost of discarding imperfect products on their own.

The Yonsei University students are not the only ones who are finding innovative ways to utilize ugly produce. In 2020, one entrepreneur launched an online subscription service for ugly vegetables. The service also offers inventive recipes for dishes that can be made with misshapen produce.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs* is negotiating with countries and overseas companies to export Korea’s surplus of imperfect fruits and vegetables.

* World Food Forum 세계 식량 포럼

* Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs 농림축산식품부