KiwiHarvest is a unique organisation that redistributes excess food by giving it to those in need. KiwiHarvest has been able to create a positive change both socially and environmentally by nourishing the community and reducing the impact of food waste on the environment.We are proud to support KiwiHarvest’s rapid growth with our recent installation of industrial racking solutions, donated and installed at no cost.
Since its inception in 2012, KiwiHarvest has rescued 3.2 million kilos of food, the equivalent of over 9 million meals. KiwiHarvest’s mission is quite simply to collect good food before it goes to waste and get it to the people who need it most. This mission sees KiwiHarvest delivering to 280 charities across New Zealand whilst protecting our environment from excess waste at the same time.
The KiwiHarvest story
KiwiHarvest was founded by Deborah Manning, a qualified lawyer and physiotherapist. Deborah’s concept of food rescue was born in Dunedin in 2012 and expanded to Auckland in 2015. KiwiHarvest now has teams in Auckland, Dunedin, North Shore, Hawkes Bay and Queenstown.
Deborah is joined by CEO, Gavin Findlay, as well as a team of like-minded food rescuers and volunteers.
The stats say it all. In New Zealand alone, more than 103,000 tonnes of food waste is produced each year. It is estimated that around 60% of food in landfills is actually edible. Food in landfills is not only a hazard to the environment, but it’s also a missed opportunity for people in need.
KiwiHarvest works with the food industry to take the food they can’t sell. Supermarkets, wholesalers, restaurants, cafes and hotels all have a supply of food that is unsellable due to issues such as oversupply, damaged packaging, mislabeling and cancelled orders.
The fact that 40% of New Zealander experience low to moderate food security is one of the main reasons why KiwiHarvest began in the first place.
KiwiHarvest takes high-quality, fresh food from their various suppliers and distributes it to charities and social agencies who have traditionally been only able to access canned or dried food. The variety of food that KiwiHarvest supplies is nourishing and allows agencies to re-focus their funding on the core issues they are presented with.
Our work with KiwiHarvest
We began working with KiwiHarvest in 2017 when we supplied industrial racks for their container warehouse.
Last month KiwiHarvest set up their new Highbrook warehouse. It’s here that we donated and installed over $12,000 worth of pallet racking.
Their new warehouse and racking have grown KiwiHarvest’s capacity from 18 pallets to 180 pallets! This shows the extent of the growth in the organization and how well-received their efforts are.
Belinda Hughes, KiwiHarvest’s Operations & Logistics Manager, reports that their donating manufacturers are also thrilled with the new capacity as it enables much more efficient donations. They can now provide a large donation in one delivery cutting down on double handling and helping them clear surplus stock in a timely manner. The well-organised warehouse also provides a safe environment for Kiwi Harvest’s staff and volunteers to operate in and they love the efficiency of having everything in its place.
KiwiHarvest growing by the day
The massive increase in capacity has “changed their world” reports Gavin Findlay, CEO of KiwiHarvest.
Whilst KiwiHarvest specialises in perishable products, their new racking allows them to say yes to large donations from manufacturers. This enables the charities they service to have a wider variety of food on hand including staple ingredients that are less time-sensitive, providing a more consistent supply of food for those in need.
Now that the Auckland warehouse to act as a distribution hub, KiwiHarvest is also able to work towards its objective of providing food nationwide.
If you would like to help Kiwi Harvest with either food to be rescued or a financial donation please contact them at foodrescue@kiwiharvest.org.nz or visit https://kiwiharvest.org.nz
KiwiHarvest is a good example of organisations with products that are difficult to store. Whatever the size of your operations, we have the right storage solution.
Just like KiwiHarvest, we can accommodate growing businesses and design and build storage systems tailored to your products.
From the initial advice to the final installation, we take care of our clients throughout the design and build process. Call us today for specialised and compliant racking solutions.
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