Did you know that 40% of all food produced globally is wasted from farm to fork?
New Zealand’s largest food businesses have joined the Kai Commitment, a new voluntary initiative to reduce food waste and emissions launched today.
The Kai Commitment is being led by the New Zealand Food Waste Champions, a charitable organisation established to progress UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.
Fonterra, Countdown, Goodman Fielder, Silver Fern Farms, Foodstuffs and Nestle, representing more than $40 billion in collective turnover, are the first organisations to join Kai Commitment. In pursuit of UNSDG 12.3, they commit to measure their food waste under the agreement, set an ambitious target to reduce it, and implement an action plan. They will also collaborate on new initiatives through the supply chain.
Kaitlin Dawson, the Executive Director of New Zealand Food Waste Champions says, “We’ve been working to this day for more than a year, and we’re delighted to launch the Kai Commitment with the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern.
“In New Zealand, landfilled food waste contributes 4 percent of our total emissions and represents a lost economic opportunity of up to $2 billion per year. What’s more tragic than the numbers is that one in five Kiwi kids live in constant hunger. Through the Kai Commitment we hope to collectively work on developing a food system in Aotearoa New Zealand that values every piece of food we produce.
“We’ve seen globally that voluntary agreements make a meaningful impact on reducing food waste. The UK’s equivalent agreement, the Courtauld Commitment, contributed to the UK reducing food waste by 28% nationally in the last decade and being on track to meet the UNSDG12.3 goal.
“Reducing food waste also makes good business sense. Global studies show that for every $1 investment in reducing food waste, there can be a return of $14.”
“I’d like to thank our first four signatories, the founding signatories, Countdown, Goodman Fielder, Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms who have supported the design and development of this initiative over the last year. Building Kai Commitment with businesses, for business, was very important to us. We thank them for their insight, leadership and commitment to reducing food waste in their organisations and supply chains.
“Additionally, I want to acknowledge the organisations that invested in the establishment of this project including, AGMARDT, Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation, Countdown, Goodman Fielder, and the Ministry for the Environment. It has been a team effort.”
The establishment of the new agreement is being supported by the Ministry for the Environment and is an action under New Zealand’s Emissions Reduction Plan (Action 15.1.2).
Any business looking to reduce food waste is welcome to join and can contact us at:
