Refresh:Food is a new digital marketplace designed to connect growers with excess fruit and vegetables to new networks of potential buyers.
The B2B marketplace is accessible via the Refresh:Food smartphone app, and has been designed to make the exchange of produce as simple and transparent as possible.
The new startup has been launched with an ambition to help reduce food waste in the supply chain by creating an additional channel for farmers to achieve a commercial return for more of their produce.
Refresh:Food is a profit-for-purpose company, meaning any profit generated is invested into initiatives which help reduce food waste or hunger, such as supporting the work of charities like Foodbank, OzHarvest and Fareshare.
The app allows farmers to list excess produce – which may be a result of bumper crops, weather damage or imperfections on the digital marketplace.
Produce buyers such as fruit and vegetable processors, packaged food manufacturers, small grocers, meal kit and produce box companies, hospitality and food service providers can utilise the app to find savings on produce that may have minor imperfections, take advantage of seasonal abundance and access new supply streams when their regular supply is disrupted.
Growers set the price, upload a photo of the produce and document key details including harvest date, best before date, whether it is washed or any stickers have been applied, quality notes like damage and defects, and their relevant certifications (eg. HARPS, Freshcare).
When a buyer is ready to make a purchase, the payment is securely managed through the app, with statements and invoices automatically generated. Buyers have the option to organise their own transport to collect and deliver their produce, request a quote for Refresh:Food to handle logistics or have the produce delivered to a central ‘hub’ location for their collection.
Managing director of Refresh:Food, Chris Cramond said, “Our number one motivation for starting Refresh:Food is to reduce on-farm food waste by giving growers another avenue to sell excess produce – it’s sustainability with commercial purpose.”
“We want to help broaden growers’ network of potential buyers to tap into demand that they wouldn’t otherwise have visibility of.”
“Farmers obviously never want to see the food they grow ploughed back into the ground, and Refresh:Food is about creating another channel that they can turn to at a moment’s notice to find the right buyers for different grades of produce.”