UK start-up FruPro has released a not-for-profit platform that connects retailers and growers, feeding half a million people in just two days with food destined for the bin.

The company is developing a communications and trading platform that connects the fruit and veg industry. The goal is to reduce waste by creating a centralised platform that puts those with produce in touch with those who need it. Eventually, FruPro will take a commission from these trades, but, in response to the disruption caused by Covid-19, it has launched a not-for-profit version.

Covid-19 has highlighted a dichotomy in the food system. While supermarket shelves are empty, thousands of tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables are spoiling in fields and warehouses. The current situation has exaggerated an already pressing issue: up to 40% of fresh produce grown in the UK is wasted.

“The key thing for us is that no food ends up in the bin,” said William Hill, CEO of FruPro. “Despite empty supermarket shelves, there is a huge amount of fresh produce available, because many wholesalers sell directly into the hospitality sector, which has closed down. The issue now is getting that food to retailers.”

Reynolds, a supplier for the foodservice industry, is one of the platform’s earliest participants. FruPro put Reynolds Catering Supplies into contact with WT Hill, a food marketing company, which has helped divert 180 tonnes of fresh produce to independent retailers and wholesalers across the country. It estimates this could feed half a million people for two days. Without FruPro, much of this produce could have been wasted.

“FruPro have been a great help to Reynolds in ensuring that we have been able to divert produce, which might have otherwise gone to waste, to people who really need it,” said Matthew Jones, a senior buyer at Reynolds. “Now more than ever it’s important that our industries works together to prevent food shortages and minimise any wastage.”

Currently, FruPro is focused on diverting produce to independent retailers. This includes food markets, corner shops and greengrocers, as well as the growing fresh produce delivery sector. It is also developing a mechanism for transferring stock to food banks.

“Supermarkets do a great job, but we also need to support our independent retailers and charitable organisations,” said Hill. “These businesses don’t have the levels of bureaucracy and regulation that you see in supermarkets. This means that we can get stock to them quickly, and then on to the general public. Greengrocers, butchers and fishmongers have been supporting our communities for centuries and I think the next few weeks are going to remind us how valuable they are.”

FruPro is still some months away from releasing the full version of the platform, which it says must be international to reflect the complexity of supply chains. It is also in talks with Agrimetrics, an artificial intelligence and data platform with the backing of the UK government and Microsoft, regarding how to scale this and integrate valuable information, such as crop disease models and yield predictions.

“In a couple of years, we want everyone to be able to buy fresh fruit that would otherwise have ended up in the bin, and be able to track that piece of fruit back to the farm that produced it: complete traceability,” said Hill. “Over the next few months, we want to make sure that no one goes hungry whilst good food is being wasted.”

FruPro provides an end-to-end community for the global fresh produce industry and offers greater transparency for fresh produce consumers. From growers to importers, wholesalers to hauliers, FruPro says it will help companies find new partners, build connections, and promote products and services to a global audience.

As one of the leading fresh fruit and veg suppliers to the UK foodservice industry, family business Reynolds provides more than 3000 different types of fresh produce and chilled foods from around the world to businesses across the UK. Some of the biggest names in the eating-out market use Reynolds to supply fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and cheese the next day, right across the country.

Agrimetrics is the food and farming sector’s data marketplace. It lets organisations safely share and monetise their data, while making it easier for people to access the information they need. The goal is to help create a more productive and sustainable food system by enabling next-generation technology as quickly and affordably as possible.

It is one of four centres for agricultural innovation founded with an initial investment from Innovate UK. Its founding partners are NIAB, SRUC, Rothamsted Research and the University of Reading. It has strategic partnerships with Airbus and Microsoft and is a participant in Microsoft’s AI for Earth programme.