Food waste: the villain we are taking down; one quirky kumara at a time.

Alright, legend. If you've made it this far, you clearly care about where your food comes from. Maybe you are here for the veggies. Maybe you are here for the ugly. Maybe you are just lost on the internet. Either way, buckle up because this is about to get interesting.

Did you know that a mind blowing 1.3 billion tonnes of food goes to waste globally every year? That is enough to feed, oh, I do not know... a small country. But here is the kicker: a massive chunk of that waste is not because the food is bad, it is because it is not pretty enough for supermarkets. Yep. Perfectly good fruit and veg gets dumped, ploughed under, or fed to animals just because it dares to have a bump, curve, or an extra leg. Rude.

CAN WE CHANGE THE WORLD?

Look, we all love a bit of ‘pretty’ food. Instagram worthy pancakes, marble glazed donuts, the holy grail of the perfect poached egg. Humans like beautiful. And beautiful food sells. That is a fact. But what about the underdog? The two legged carrot? The slightly too round apple? The kumara with a few extra kobbles? When's their time to shine?!

With one in nine people worldwide suffering from chronic malnourishment, it is time to get over our obsession with perfection and start appreciating food for what it is: delicious, nourishing, and worthy of our plates, regardless of its modelling career prospects.

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL FRUITS AND VEG!

Here is the NZ food waste situation: Kiwis throw away $872 million worth of food every year. Yep, $872 million!! That is enough to feed 200,000 people for an entire year... which is like feeding the whole population of Gisborne… four times over!

And here is the real kicker: 25% of the world’s fresh water supply is used to grow food that never even gets eaten. So when you bin that slightly soft tomato, you are also binning the water, effort, and resources it took to grow it. Not ideal.

That is why we are here, to get these glorious, quirky, 100% edible fruits and veggies into your hands, onto your plate, and away from the waste pile. Because at the end of the day, food waste is not just a problem for farmers, supermarkets, or the planet. It is something we can ALL help fix, one weirdly shaped kumara at a time.

Why Buy Misfit?

🌱 Support Local Farmers

Growing food isn’t easy. It takes months of hard work, unpredictable weather, and rising costs - but too often, farmers are underpaid for their produce. We work directly with growers and pay them fairly for their harvest, no matter the size, shape, or quirks of their fruit & veggies. This helps them plan ahead, keep their farms running, and continue growing amazing food for all of us.

💧 Save Water, One Veggie at a Time

Wasting food = wasting water. Every carrot or apple you toss is also throwing away the water it took to grow it. And that adds up fast! The average person in NZ wastes around 77 tomatoes a year - that’s the same as dumping 10 bathtubs of water straight down the drain. By eating what’s already been grown, we make better use of our planet’s precious resources.

❤️ Help Feed Your Community

We don’t just save produce from going to waste - we make sure it gets to the people who need it most. Our extra and surplus fruit & veggies are donated to local charities and the two Kai Pantries in town. If you’re a food bank or community group keen to receive fresh produce donations, get in touch!

💰 Keep Your Dollar Where It Counts

Because we source produce straight from the farm, your hard-earned dollar goes directly to the people growing your food - not into the hands of big supermarket chains that squeeze farmers, drive down prices, and reduce competition. By choosing Misfit, you’re supporting a fairer food system that values growers and keeps independent businesses thriving.

🥕 Eat More of the Good Stuff

Veggies are basically nature’s multivitamins. They’re packed with nutrients, help reduce the risk of diseases like heart disease and high blood pressure, and keep you feeling energised. Plus, with a Misfit box, you’ll get a fun mix of fresh, seasonal produce to keep mealtimes interesting!

Let’s make a change: one delicious, quirky veggie at a time.