Al Jazeera, 2013 | In-depth feature
On a farm a few hundred kilometres from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Samson Kibaki* is engaging in a strange ritual: chopping large chunks off his green beans.
Every green bean grown on his farm is cut down by around a third before it goes to market, and the remainder tossed on a heap. The reason? Beans are bendy and the cellophane packets in UK supermarkets are short and straight.
In a country where 3 million people are dependent on food aid, he wastes 40 tonnes of edible green beans, broccoli, sugar snaps, and runner beans every week, primarily because they are the wrong size, shape or colour.
Read my investigation on how the buying practices and cosmetic standards of EU supermarkets are causing colossal food waste in Kenya.
Sylvia Rowley 