Kiwis are disgusted by the amount of food going to waste in New Zealand and want the government to take action, including funding food rescue.
According to a new survey from the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance, 73 percent of New Zealanders were concerned about edible food ending up in landfills, with 82 percent saying they thought it was disgusting that one-third of food produced for people in New Zealand goes to waste.
Regarding a solution, three-quarters of Kiwis agreed the government should do more to prevent food that could feed people from ending up in landfills, and 75 percent agreed the government should contribute funding to food rescue.
The government currently provides around NZD 10 million annually to support food rescue and food banks, but that funding will end in June this year.
AFRA's General Manager, Iain Lees-Galloway, said these results sent a clear message ahead of Budget 2025.
“Food rescue services ensure surplus food, like bread left on the supermarket shelf at the end of the day, reaches people who need it and doesn’t end up in the bin,” said Lees-Galloway.
“The public knows food rescue is essential. Without renewed investment from the government, millions of meals that nourish communities may be wasted. The evidence is clear: Kiwis want food to go to people, not landfill.”
The survey found that 81 percent of respondents thought surplus food should be used to feed people first rather than being diverted to other uses like animal feed or compost. Additionally, 83 percent believed that food businesses should do more to prevent food waste.
“Last year, our members distributed over NZD 73 million worth of surplus food into our communities, supplementing the NZD 120 million the government spends annually on food grants. But food rescue isn’t just about feeding people; it’s also about protecting the environment. When food ends up in a landfill, it decomposes and produces methane, a 25 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.”
He added that rescue prevented thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, aligning with New Zealand’s climate goals and addressing both social and environmental challenges.
“We’re calling on the government to step up in Budget 2025 and provide sustainable, long-term funding for food rescue.”
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