A group of Champions have come together to lead the fight against food waste in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The New Zealand Food Waste Champions is a coalition of Champions from our food supply chain, committed to halving food waste by 2030 and achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3. The Champions will be role models in advocacy, strategy and education on food waste issues.

“A third of food produced globally is lost or wasted from farm to fork. In New Zealand, the average Kiwi family throws out three shopping trolleys of food each year. We need to turnaround these statistics and prioritise tackling food waste”, says Assoc Professor Miranda Mirosa, Champion from the University of Otago.

There are currently 12 Champions from organisations such as Countdown, Foodstuffs, KiwiHarvest, WasteMINZ and Sustainable Business Network.

“We have a strong cross-section from the food supply chain, covering business, not-for-profits, government and research institutions. A collaborative and co-ordinated approach is needed if we are going to achieve the goal of halving food waste by 2030”, says Champions Co-ordinator Tessa Vincent.

Half of countries around the globe have reinforced Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 in Government targets. Unlike Australia and the United States, New Zealand has not yet committed to halving food waste by 2030. The Champions have come together to build momentum in New Zealand for business and government to reduce food waste.

“Tackling food waste has been ranked by Project Drawdown as the third best solution to combatting climate change. Food is a precious resource and should be kept intact from farm to fork. Our Champions will raise awareness on environmental consequences to prevent wastage and meet the expectations of New Zealanders”, comments Tessa Vincent.

“Businesses can come on board by aligning to the Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3. With the Government’s action on climate change through the Zero Carbon Bill and increasing the landfill levy, we anticipate the Government will follow suit. New Zealanders can also play their part by preventing food waste at home”, says Miranda Mirosa.

“New Zealand has an opportunity to lead the world in sustainable food production and prevent food from being wasted. Tackling food waste will lead to triple wins: environmentally, economically and socially”, says Miranda Mirosa.

The launch was held yesterday (12.3) in Prefab Hall in Wellington. Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage, addressed the audience of 80 people, representing food businesses, NGOs, research institutions and food waste enthusiasts.

If you are a business or individual who wants to find out more, look at our website at www.nzchampions123.org, or get in touch with Tessa at nzchampions123@gmail.com.

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