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The Startup Playbook Podcast

Ep202 – Josh Ball (Co-founder – Farmers Pick) on using tech to save 7 million kg of food waste

Dec 19, 2024
Josh Ball, Co-founder of Farmers Pick, shares his journey in transforming food waste into a thriving business. He discusses the importance of a strong mission and the challenges of scaling a startup that rescues imperfect produce. Josh sheds light on their successful shift to equity crowdfunding to foster growth without traditional VC pressures. He also highlights the role of storytelling and social media in building brand loyalty, along with the intricacies of managing a rapidly expanding team while maintaining company values.
57:40

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Farmers Pick addresses food waste by promoting the value of imperfect produce, significantly impacting sustainability and food insecurity.
  • Josh Ball's tech background enables agile solutions that balance efficiency and innovation in scaling the food waste reduction business.

Deep dives

The Core Purpose of Food and Food Waste

The fundamental purpose of food lies in its nutritional value, freshness, and taste, elements that have not been prioritized for several decades. Farmers have been conditioned to view imperfect produce as waste, leading to a staggering 2.4 billion kilograms of edible food discarded each year in Australia. By recognizing the potential of produce that does not meet supermarket aesthetic standards, the initiative addresses both food waste and food insecurity. This shift in perception emphasizes the need to educate consumers and farmers on the real value of imperfect produce, transforming it from an overlooked commodity to a celebrated contribution to sustainable practices.

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