Seven tonnes of kiwifruit have been rescued ahead of a large land development project.
The New Zealand Food Network (NZFN), alongside its partners and volunteers, rescued 16 bins of edible kiwifruit in West Auckland after Fletcher Living alerted them about a substantial crop ready for harvest and distribution to the community.
While planning the development of its Riverhead site, Fletcher Living faced the challenge of what to do with acres of kiwifruit. Seeking a sustainable solution that would avoid waste, it reached out to NZFN for help.
Established in 2020 to address New Zealand’s growing problem of food insecurity, NZFN says it exists to bridge the gap between food supply and demand by redistributing bulk surplus and donated stock to communities in need and helping ensure everyone has regular access to good food.
It says it has developed a collection, storage and distribution system that operates at a scale and level of efficiency never seen in New Zealand before. However, the increasing numbers of vulnerable people now accessing food parcels means that more help is needed to meet the current level of demand.