Fruta Feia - Giving farmers a fair price for their wonky veg

In this episode I’m speaking to a couple of people from Fruta Feia a co-operative with hubs around Portugal, that buys food from farmers that has been rejected by the retailers they supply, and would otherwise have gone to waste – selling this seasonal and locally sourced produce on to its members. I was fortunate enough to spend the day with Fruta Feia, as they collected food from various suppliers from towns and villages nearby Lisbon, and then took it to a community centre to create the fruit and veg boxes for their members. The recording took place as the produce collected that day was being unloaded from the van, during which I spoke to Miguel who works for the co-op and explains a little about how Fruta Feia functions, and then to a volunteer who explains how and why she got involved with the organisation – her opinions are of course her own, and don’t necessarily reflect those of Fruta Feia. It’s a brief introduction to what is a fantastic organisation, doing great work in reducing food waste, supporting local farmers, and providing people access to healthy, nutritious and fresh food at very affordable price.