The variability of vegetables makes waste more easy to generate. They must be uniform to sell to the greatest number on an open market, and they must be quantified and standardized so as to achieve this. The reasons for this are a little more complex, which may be useful to get into another time.
But it is impossible to individualize the product in this case. Walking in an open field, one can pick a piece of food and eat it, whatever shape it may take, and one is grateful to have the food. But on the open market, competition allows for near perfect vegetables that are in the best possible condition and shape. One can pick through them, and choose, and therefore, there is tremendous pressure to narrow one's offerings down to such specimens, for fear of losing one's sale.
