Whanganui Kai Ora Kai Collective wants to create Kai Hub

Kai Hub enthusiasts are (from left) Joe Thompson, Graeme Pearson, John Wilson, Jo Buckingham, Jay Rerekura, Lauren Tamehana, Louise Oskam, Beth Savage and (front) Julie Crocker. Photo / Bevan Conley

There is food wasted in Whanganui and people who need it - and the Whanganui Kai Ora Kai Collective plans to bring the two together with a Kai Hub.

In March, Joe Thompson and Julie Crocker were given $7800 from Whanganui District Council's Waste Minimisation Fund to use in a feasibility study.

They bring experience with similar organisations in Auckland, Wellington and Edinburgh.

New Zealand towns and cities have about 40 similar groups, Thompson has been told, under a new Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance umbrella.

"Whanganui has been ready and ripe for this action for a while now," Crocker said.

The aim would be a place where food waste is collected and stored, and provided to people who need it.

The first steps towards it are finding sources of waste food, finding a suitable place for the hub and deciding on a business model.

The sources could be supermarkets that have waste food - both Whanganui Countdowns are interested.

The place needs to have a commercial kitchen, enough space to feed large groups and store food, and road access for the vehicle that collects the kai.

There are already food redistribution programmes in Whanganui - the Christian Social Services Foodbank, Friendship Lunches, Stone Soup gatherings, the Koha Shed and neighbourhood food sharing pataka.

The collective is excited to be working with all of these - and not to duplicate them.

It will not be a charity.

"It's not about handing out. We are figuring out models where there's an exchange involved. It could be their time or expertise, or it could be 'pay as you feel'," Thompson said.

The hub will aim to be financially sustainable, working in a social enterprise model that's good for people and the environment and puts any profit put back into the business.

Food that's not suitable for people will be kept to feed chickens or pigs. If it's not suitable for that it will be composted and feed farms or gardens.

The hub could also provide workshops on food preservation, and it could loan out equipment. It could deliver food to community groups, marae and churches.

Keeping food waste out of landfill is one of Whanganui District Council's hopes. In New Zealand about 30 per cent of the waste sent to landfill is food waste.

The hub could have social benefits as well.

"It's not only feeding people who are hungry. It's a way of getting people together in the community," Graeme Pearson said.

The group showed what it could do at the Whanganui River Markets on April 17. It had bread supplied by Sour Bros, basil and garlic from Piwakawaka Farm, overripe bananas and unwanted chocolate chips and it handed out basil pesto, banana cake with chocolate chips and dried apple and pears.

For more information visit www.kaiora.org.nz or email whanganuikaihub@gmail.com.