Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance

"Absolutely inspiring to see Go Eco (Waikato Environment Centre) marking such a meaningful milestone. Congratulations on 10 years of dedication to the Waikato community.

A picture is worth a thousand words: This infographic effectively illustrates the difference between a linear and circular economy. Food rescue also adds additional positive flows into a circular economy, ensuring quality surplus food that otherwise would have gone to waste before consumption - fills plates, not landfill.

We’re delighted to welcome Tracey Watene and Simone Gibson as our new Board Co-Chairs at AFRA! 🌱 Both are passionate advocates for food rescue and bring diverse experience, a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and a collaborative spirit to their leadership. Together, they’ll help us continue supporting the work of our 36 food rescue organisations across Aotearoa. ✨ Meet Tracey: Tracey is the Head of Operations and Relationships at Fair Food NZ. With deep roots in West Auckland, Tracey supports thousands of volunteers, numerous recipient groups, and key partnerships with supermarkets through her role at Fair Food. With experience in Tertiary Education and Sports, and a commitment to Te Ao Māori values like manaakitanga (hospitality) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship), Tracey is dedicated to reducing food waste and strengthening communities. ✨ Meet Simone: Simone joined Awhina Taupō Community Foodbank as General Manager in early 2024 after entering the food rescue sector with Good Neighbour during the 2020 lockdown. She’s dedicated to fostering collaboration and innovation, empowering AFRA members to learn from each other, and ensuring the sector’s long-term sustainability. A big thank you to our outgoing Chair, Stu Ennor, for his incredible leadership and contributions to AFRA’s journey. Here’s to an exciting new chapter under Tracey and Simone’s guidance! 💙✨

Every day our members are putting in the mahi to ensure perfectly good surplus food feeds people not landfill. Today alone, they will distribute the equivalent of 76,500 meals to communities across Aotearoa. That’s enough to nourish over 25,000 people with healthy, nutritious food for an entire day! This incredible impact wouldn’t be possible without the support of so many dedicated volunteers, generous donors and community partners, including Woolworths New Zealand and Foodstuffs North Island Limited. It’s a true team effort, and together, we’re making a real difference. 💚

South Kaipara Good Food CEO Gemma Donaldson spoke passionately about the role of food rescue and the importance of collaboration at the WasteMINZ Food Waste Summit yesterday. Rescuing surplus food reduces waste now while we work on longer term solutions to reduce overproduction. And it helps feed people in need. Thank you to all the stars like Gemma doing this incredible work in their communities.

Every day, food rescue organisations work tirelessly to save good food from going to waste, ensuring it reaches those who need it most. Over the past year alone, our incredible members have rescued 7.4 million kg of surplus food to redistribute to communities across Aotearoa. But they can't do it alone. Here are three simple ways you can support this vital work: 🕑 Give Your Time: Volunteer with your local food rescue. From sorting to assisting at events—your time makes a real impact. 🍉 Donate Surplus Food: If you’re a business with surplus food, donating it to food rescue groups can help ensure it fills plates, not landfill. That’s a win for our communities and the environment. 💚 Make a Donation: Financial support is vital to ensure food rescue organisations keep up with growing demand and continue their important mahi. And it’s money well spent! For every $1 invested in food rescue, there’s a $4.50 social return. Together, we can reduce food waste and help feed our communities. Find your local food rescue organisation here: https://lnkd.in/gau3u8JA

If you missed it, this important article by Angela Calver is a must-read. She highlights the mounting pressure on food rescue organisations, who are on the front-lines of addressing both hunger and food waste. The demand for food support is rising fast, and while food rescue groups in Aotearoa have done incredible work, saving millions of kilograms of food this past year, they are stretched to their limits. As Angela points out, without sustainable backing, we risk losing a crucial service that addresses both social and environmental challenges. Now more than ever, we need a collective effort to support food rescue. 

At Satisfy Food Rescue, we see firsthand the growing need for food in our communities. But what does it really mean to be food secure?

✨ Today, we’re celebrating International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste! ✨ A huge shout-out to everyone working hard to reduce food waste and ensure good food reaches those who need it most—especially our incredible 37 food rescue members across Aotearoa. Together, over the past year, you’ve rescued more than 7.4 million kg of surplus, quality kai that would have otherwise gone to waste. 🌏🍎 One example of the impact happening every day is from our member, Kaibosh Food Rescue, featured in this article in The Post: https://lnkd.in/gKf28bx5 Their tireless efforts are just one story among many, showcasing how food rescue makes a tangible difference for whānau and the environment. 💚 To our food rescue whānau, community partners, volunteers, and supporters—thank you for your mahi, passion, and commitment. Together, we’re not just rescuing food; we’re nourishing communities and protecting our planet. 🙌💚 #FoodRescueNZ #ZeroWaste #FoodSecurity #CommunityImpact #IDAWFLW

At our recent National Hui, we were privileged to have Dr Madeline Shelling deliver our keynote address. Madeline has recently completed her PhD under Te Kupenga Hauora Māori at the University of Auckland. Her topic of her research was, “Kai security, A Kaupapa Māori critique and reconceptualisation of food security and food sovereignty definitions and assessment frameworks in Aotearoa.” Madeline challenged us to re-think our concepts of kai security. Sharing a copy of questions from a Government survey about food security, she demonstrated that the Western view of food security is about having enough money to buy food as a commodity. However for many communities, especially remote Māori communities, kai security is about having access to sources of kai and that often that means being part of a community of fishers, hunters, growers, divers, and farmers who each do their bit to supply kai to those around them while receiving what they need. Madeline offered this definition: "Kai security requires unimpeded, equitable access to traditional resources, spaces, values and practices, facilitating the full expression of rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga across all aspects of the kai system." She certainly laid down the wero to everyone in the room, from food producers to retailers to rescuers to think about how what we are doing now will or won't lead to greater kai security for whānau and communities in the future and to grapple with the challenge for tangata tiriti to decolonise food systems and for opportunities to be created for tangata whenua to re-indigenise kai. Thank you Madeline for a thought provoking and challenging kōrero. Your depth of knowledge and passion for kai security sparked conversations that lasted throughout the hui and will significantly influence the work we have ahead of us.