Hema’s “Ugly Cute” vegetable collection hit the shelves
To reduce food waste and promote sustainable agriculture, Hema has introduced a unique range of “Ugly Cute” organic vegetables in over a hundred stores across Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. These vegetables, which might not meet conventional aesthetic standards, are now available at 50 to 70 percent of the price of their more conventionally appealing counterparts.
For a long time, supermarkets and markets have favored produce with a visually pleasing appearance, relegating the less conventionally attractive “ugly vegetables” to the sidelines as substandard products, often destined for composting. This practice contributes to the global food waste issue, with about one-third of all food produced going to waste annually, partly due to appearance-based market standards. However, these “ugly vegetables” offer the same taste and nutritional value as their more attractively shaped counterparts.
Previously, Hema Fresh has taken steps to minimize food waste by offering products like “hail-damaged peaches” and “organic offshoots.” This latest initiative brings “ugly vegetables” from Yunnan to a broader audience, combining sustainable agricultural practices with a personalized, anthropomorphic marketing approach that makes sustainable products engaging, fun, and valuable for the public.
