Often the perfectly delicious produce that farmers grow never makes it off of the farm.  There are two primary reasons why on-farm produce is wasted:

1. The produce they grow is “ugly” or imperfect - it does not meet strict retail aesthetic standards simply because it is not perfect looking.  Only the produce or parts of the produce that meet strict specifications are harvested and the remainder is sometimes sold as off-grade, but is largely left in the fields to rot or sent to landfills.
   
   
2. There is surplus as a result of overproduction, lack of selling opportunities or loss of demand. 

But not all surplus and imperfect produce is actually Verified Rescued™.  To fully know whether or not produce is rescued, it requires an audit and verification process.  That’s where Full Harvest can help.  Full Harvest Verified Rescued Produce™ is defined as produce or harvest byproduct that:

1. Was grown for human consumption but is determined that it will go to waste at the time of evaluation.
   
   
2. Has been verified through the Full Harvest Verified Rescued Produce™ audit and evaluation process. 

Full Harvest’s proprietary verification process evaluates three key factors to determine if produce is rescued: type of produce, market conditions and harvest conditions.  

We’re creating more economic opportunity for America’s farmers by helping them get more out of their harvests. We help farmers identify and verify edible on-farm food waste, and then find ways to capture and sell it to new buyers via the Full Harvest marketplace.

While cars and cows are often recognized as large contributors to climate change, it is actually food waste that is the single largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, according to Project Drawdown.  

Growing food requires water, energy and inputs like fertilizer that all have an environmental footprint.  When food is grown, but never harvested or consumed, all of the water and resources associated with this growing are wasted.   

The good news is that we can all help solve this by purchasing products made with Full Harvest Verified Rescued Produce™.

Want to learn more about Full Harvest produce and services? Check out our FAQs page.