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KiwiHarvest was born as a solution to two problems facing the people and environment of New Zealand. 40% of Kiwis experience low to moderate food security, and up to 305,000 children here are living in poverty. At the same time, the food industry in New Zealand generates more than 103,000 tonnes of food waste per year, and it is estimated that 60% of food going to landfill is edible. Burying food (and often its packaging) in landfill is an environmental disaster.
Put simply, KiwiHarvest collects good food before it goes to waste and gets it to those in need.
It works with food businesses, including supermarkets, wholesalers, producers, cafes, restaurants, and hotels, to rescue the good food that they are not able to sell – whether that is because of oversupply, damaged packaging, cancelled orders, mislabelling, or because the food is nearing its best before date or end of life.
Here in Queenstown, 100% of the food that KiwiHarvest rescued is redistributed on the same day, free of charge, to community groups and social service agencies, and shared with people in need.
KiwiHarvest can’t tackle these problems alone, and it is a vital part of their mission to increase awareness and engagement with the issues of food waste and food insecurity. These are issues that affect everyone, and that everyone can affect.
The KiwiHarvest team in Queenstown delivers interactive presentations and workshops in schools and businesses, and acts as a voice for food waste and food insecurity issues at public events and in the media.
By redistributing excess food, KiwiHarvest helps to create lasting positive social change by nourishing those in need, while reducing the negative impacts of food waste on our environment. What’s not to love when you can rescue food and nourish communities!?
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