Why we rescue food

One third of food produced worldwide does not make it to the plate. Whether it’s on the farm, in transportation, shops, or our own fridges we are wasting food and all the resources it took to produce and transport it.

Food wasted around the world pumps 4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere – roughly eight percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile many people in our community are struggling to feed their families. And the numbers are growing.

To us this doesn’t make sense. So Waiwaste Food Rescue staff and volunteers are at work in the Wairarapa, rescuing food that is good enough to eat but not good enough to sell, and redistributing it to local community organisations who feed people.

We collect from supermarkets, growers, cafes, bakeries, and producers who recognise that they can help their community by handing on food to us. We are also the New Zealand Food Network Hub for the Wairarapa and receive bulk rescued goods from their logistics centres.

We deliver daily to the Masterton Foodbank providing greater nutrition in family food parcels, and to the Community Kitchen who use the food to cook meals for people in emergency situations and to teach people how to cook.

If you’d like to make a difference in our local community, please consider volunteering with us.