In uncertain times, New Zealanders are looking for policies that bring us together, not drive us apart. We need solutions that strengthen communities, rebuild trust, and support wellbeing. Few forces are more powerful or universal than food. It connects us, anchors cultures, and shapes our health, environment, and economy. We all rely on food to…
Fresh fruit, community spirit and a shared purpose came together in the Bay of Plenty this month. Our member, The Hub Te Puke, and a crew of volunteers joined forces to harvest kiwifruit that otherwise would have gone unpicked at Plant & Food Research. In just 90 minutes, the team picked 800kg of fruit for…
Media Release, 30 March 2025 The Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance (AFRA) is calling on the Government to include mandatory food rescue partnerships in its plans to reform New Zealand’s grocery sector. In response to today’s announcement from Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis about potential structural separation in the supermarket sector, AFRA says now is the…
With Budget 2025 on the horizon and government funding for food rescue set to expire in June, we had a big question for Kiwis: do they think the Government should keep supporting food rescue? The answer? A resounding YES. Our latest survey found 75% of Kiwis believe the government should do more to stop perfectly…
Media release, 5 March 2025 Kiwis are disgusted by the amount of food going to waste in Aotearoa and they want the government to take action, including funding food rescue. That’s according to a new survey from Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance, which found 73% of New Zealanders are concerned about edible food ending up in…
Would you rather the fresh and free-of-charge food pictured below nourishes those in need or goes to waste in landfill? It seems like a far too obvious question, doesn’t it? But maybe not. Because there is a danger that in 2025, freely available food like this will decay in landfill, rather than easing the devastating…
As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on the incredible mahi of the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance (AFRA) community. It’s a year that hasn’t been without its challenges, as demand for food rescue has surged. Our members have stepped up to meet this demand, over 12 months rescuing 7.4 million kilograms of surplus food,…
Ever wondered what happens to bananas at your local supermarket when they get too many brown spots to sell, or tomatoes that are too soft around the edges? If your supermarket partners with a food rescue organisation, perfectly edible items like these—and other surplus stock—are collected and redistributed to places like food banks to ensure…
We’re thrilled to introduce our dynamic new Board Co-Chairs, Tracey Watene, Head of Operations and Relationships at Fair Food NZ, and Simone Gibson, General Manager at Awhina Taupō Community Foodbank. They are both very familiar faces in the food rescue community and will be taking a collaborative approach to leadership, embodying our commitment to Te…
Food Rescues and other charities all over Aotearoa are doing incredible work to meet the growing need for food support within our communities. Our Hawkes Bay-based member, Nourished for Nil, is seeing a growing demand for food parcels from many different demographics, including pensioners. Nourished for Nil’s Founder, Christina McBeth and our Interim GM Iain Lees-Galloway, spoke with Hawkes Bay Today about this confronting new trend.
Read the article here.
Our Interim GM, Iain Lees-Galloway Iain was a guest on the Revolving Door Syndrome podcast hosted by Dr Nina Su. Joined by Executive Director of NZ Food Waste Champions, Kaitlin Dawson, the conversation dives into what’s going on now and what needs to be done to make the food system more sustainable.
Our Interim GM Iain Lees-Galloway, alongside Kaitlin Dawson, Executive Director of chatted with Vincent Heeringa, about the critical issue of food waste and the vital role our members play in ensuring surplus food ends up on plates rather than in landfills.
Listen here.
Highlights From Our Local Food Rescue Heroes in 2023 Our alliance comprises 35 community organisations that operate across the motu, saving precious surplus kai from ending up in landfills, and getting it to those in need. This year, the combined efforts of these organisations saw the equivalent of over a whopping 26 million meals provided…
Three key takeaways from this year’s Countdown Summit and AFRA Hui This month we had the pleasure of hosting our annual Countdown Summit Food Rescue Partners Summit and AFRA Hui, in Ōtautahi Christchurch. A massive thank you to everyone who joined us as we celebrated the inspiring collaboration and dedication of our member organisations from…