The New Zealand Food Network (NZFN), alongside its dedicated partners and volunteers, has successfully rescued seven tonnes (16 bins) of edible kiwifruit. This initiative was made possible after Fletcher Living alerted them about a substantial crop of kiwifruit ready for harvest and distribution to the community.

While planning the development of their Riverhead site, Fletcher Living faced the challenge of what to do with acres of edible and nutritious kiwifruit. Seeking a sustainable solution that would avoid waste, they reached out to NZFN for help.

As Aotearoa’s largest not-for-profit food supply and distribution organisation, NZFN moved quickly to find an efficient and safe way to clear the kiwifruit. They enlisted the help of Punchbowl PackCo Ltd, an existing food donor and kiwifruit expert, who generously provided all necessary equipment, staff resource, and health and safety guidance at no cost.

A team of volunteers, including representatives from NZFN Food Hubs, Fair Food and Grace Foundation, as well as McCain Foods, Fletcher Living and NZFN staff all joined forces to pick and clear the kiwifruit, which was then transported to NZFN's warehouse in Penrose. The kiwifruit were sorted, packed into boxes, and distributed to NZFN’s Auckland based Food Hubs to ensure the fresh produce reached those who needed it most.

With everyone coming together to prevent these perfectly good kiwifruit fruit from going to waste, this initiative exemplifies the power of community and corporate collaboration to address food waste.

NZFN is dedicated to eliminating food waste and ensuring that all New Zealanders have access to nutritious food, with corporate and community partnerships like this being a critical element of their operations. Thanks to their connections, NZFN is able to respond rapidly to calls, like that of Fletcher Living, to ensure no good food goes to waste.

Gavin Findlay, CEO of NZFN, says, "This collaboration is a shining example of how communities and businesses can come together to address critical issues like food waste and food insecurity. Rescuing this fruit not only prevents perfectly good food from being wasted, but also distributes fresh, nutritious produce to those in need. We’re thankful to Fletcher Living for turning to us for support – it's a win-win situation that shows what can be achieved when we work together."

Kelsey Bergin, Development Manager from Fletcher Living, says, “Giving back to the community is a core part of our Fletcher Living culture. Knowing we needed to clear the kiwifruit from our site, we saw an opportunity to support others who might be struggling right now, instead of letting the fruit go to waste.

“NZFN was a great partner for this project. They quickly found a solution that was sustainable and would benefit the community. Even with the best intentions, we couldn’t have picked that amount of fruit on our own so we really encourage other businesses to work with NZFN if they can," adds Bergin.

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