Aotearoa’s largest food rescue organisation, KiwiHarvest, has announced it is teaming up with internationally renowned chef and restaurateur Peter Gordon to help raise further awareness of two of New Zealand’s largest problems, food insecurity and food waste.
Gordon is KiwiHarvest’s first official ambassador, and will be partnering with the organisation on its mission to reduce food waste and build food secure communities around the country.
New Zealand’s food industry generates more than 103,000 tonnes of food waste per year, and it is estimated that 60% of food going to landfill is edible. Meanwhile, one in five New Zealanders are living with low to moderate food insecurity each and every day, including up to 305,000 Kiwi children.
Gordon says, “It’s an absolute pleasure to step on board as KiwiHarvest’s official ambassador to shine a light on the incredible work they’re doing, helping to address Aotearoa’s dual challenges of food insecurity and food waste.
“The sad reality is many Kiwis are either going hungry, or not getting access to adequate nutrition, all while perfectly good food gets thrown away. It’s my view that all New Zealanders should be able to experience the powerful nourishing and connecting benefits of food, each and every day.
“I look forward to partnering with KiwiHarvest on our shared mission working towards the health and wellbeing of our communities, and our environment,” adds Gordon.
Deborah Manning, KiwiHarvest Founder and Director, says, “We are truly honoured to welcome Peter to the KiwiHarvest whanau.
“Throughout his career, Peter has enriched and connected communities through food, championing sustainability in the food sector. We particularly admire the work he is doing at Homeland with local food suppliers and community groups – helping Kiwis cook nourishing meals and educating them on the nutritional benefit of food and the importance of buying locally grown produce.
“Like KiwiHarvest, Peter shares the belief that everyone should have stable access to nutritious food and is passionate about reducing food waste. Ultimately that resonated with us and our organisation’s core mission,” concludes Manning.
