Fruit and vegetable delivery business Wonky Box is set to bring its affordable fresh produce to the South Island.
The company's growing popularity across the North Island, particularly amid the cost of living crisis, has long led to an influx of messages calling on the initiative to venture south.
Working alongside South Island growers, the team at Wonky Box has now been able to make this happen, employing a staff of 17 Southerners, including an on-the-ground grower liaison responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with growers across the South Island.
The business has already gained 1,400 new South Island customers, many opting for medium to large-sized boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.
"Our core mission is to reduce waste, make fresh produce accessible and affordable, and provide our local growers with the support they deserve," co-founder Angus Simms said.
"Local growers have been hard hit with severe weather events and inflationary costs. We partner with them to help both reduce their waste and provide them with an extra revenue stream."
Globally, an estimated one-third of fruits and vegetables are wasted annually, with four percent of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions resulting from food and organic waste.
In 2023 alone, Wonky Box diverted 2,000,000 kilograms of produce from waste while providing some relief to local growers and providing quality produce to households.
Co-founder Katie Jackson highlighted that the operational costs for growing fruit and vegetables remain the same regardless of their appearance, revealing that any produce rejected by larger retailers results in a loss to growers.
"It was essential to us that we pay a fair rate for the fruit and vegetables we purchase from growers," said Jackson.
"We have a unique business model in place that is both sustainable and economically viable. By partnering with us, growers reduce their waste costs significantly and recoup lost profits by having a buyer for the produce they wouldn't typically sell."
Jackson continued that it benefited businesses, the planet, and Kiwis at home, needing an affordable alternative to fresh produce without skimping on quality.
