A partnership is converting unsold Halloween pumpkins into food for communities across Oxfordshire.
Oxplenty brings together Oxford Food Hub, Good Food Oxfordshire and Cherwell Collective to turn surplus pumpkins into nutritious purée for distribution throughout the county.
Approximately 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkins are wasted in the UK each year following Halloween.
Under the initiative, pumpkins that remain uncarved and unsold are processed into purée and frozen for long-term storage.
Support for the operation has come from the kitchen at Oxford City Farm, Millets, Rectory Farms and a group of volunteers.
Farmers can face financial losses when produce remains unsold or fails to meet particular cosmetic standards.
The UK also has 9.3 million people experiencing food insecurity.
Oxplenty has been designed as a community-led, low-waste response that supports local growers, reduces food waste and limits waste-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Its objectives include ensuring that produce has a useful destination rather than being discarded.
A spokesperson for Oxford Food Hub said the scheme rescues edible food, supports local farmers, cuts carbon emissions and strengthens community resilience by treating surplus produce as a resource.
The partnership also encourages local farmers facing surplus crops and a shortage of assistance to make contact.
Ultimately, the initiative seeks to ensure that all produce finds a suitable home.