How avocado farmer Jenny Franceschi is taking on food waste

"I don't think Australian consumers realise just how tough it is for some farmers," says Jennifer Franceschi.

As an avocado farmer, Franceschi counts herself as one of the lucky ones with an avocado shortage driven by rising demand between seasons sending prices surging to about $7 per fruit at some retailers.

But concerned with the huge levels of food waste in agriculture, Franceschi and her husband, alongside three fellow growers, launched Fresh Produce Alliance out of Manjimup in Western Australia.

The processing facility champions a sustainable agriculture ecosystem using high-pressure processing and individual quick freeze to produce an avocado range, a baby food range and an upcoming low-GI range.

"Statistically across the board, about 30 per cent of horticulture doesn't even make it off the farm, there is nothing nutritionally wrong with it, it just doesn't meet the specifications that are required within the retail sector," Franceschi says.  "The thought was if you could utilise some of this product you could support farmers in a way that makes them more profitable and develop a range of very healthy food that supports farmers."  Read more