Fruitfull

Food loss is a global issue that contributes to global warming and food equity struggles, falling under point 12 of the UN’s sustainable development goals. Food loss contributes to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions due to the slow release of methane from decomposing food and in the Australian stone fruit industry 33% of all food is lost on the farm with the main catalyst in the supply chain being the picking phase. Whilst in the migrant dominant workforce (70% of workers nationally) only 3% of workers report injuries out of fear of Visa cancellations.

Frutifull features a dampening mechanism that reduces the velocity of fruit entering the bag during fruit picking, this reduces fruit damage which is a key reason why fruit is not bought by retailers and instead lost on the farm. A compression funnel reduces the velocity of fruit exiting the bag, which is another key pressure point during fruit picking. Both solutions reduce the onus on the worker for correct product handling. Comprehensive lumbar support that shifts the weight of the loaded bag to the waist reduces the chance of lumbar injuries during harvest.

A 5% reduction in food loss in the Australian stone fruit industry would result in 20,000 tonnes of fruit being saved from landfill each year, which would greatly reduce the environmental impact of the sector. This would also have a flow on effect as the influx of fruit into the market would lower prices, benefiting consumers during times of cost of living pressures and food equity struggles. It would also give farmers more financial stability in a time where profit margins are slender due to the supermarket duopoly and uncertain climate future.