Fair Food

Outgrowing Hunger: Turning Garden Abundance into Nourishment for Families in Need.

As the school year begins, fresh fruits and vegetables are a great way to add nutrition and variety to children’s lunchboxes. Many home gardens across the country produce more than households can consume, and this excess can play a crucial role in addressing food insecurity.



Fair Food, a community-driven food rescue organization, collects and redistributes surplus produce to food banks, social services, and domestic violence shelters. By transforming homegrown fruits and vegetables into essential food supplies, they help families in need access fresh, healthy kai.

Fair Food General Manager Michelle Blau highlights the unfortunate contrast between food waste and hunger. “To see fruit rotting on the ground when so many Kiwi families have empty cupboards is heartbreaking,” she says. “Fresh, healthy kai can make such a difference, especially for kids.”



New Zealand households collectively discard approximately 157,398 tonnes of food each year, much of it still edible. This wasted food represents an opportunity to provide nourishment for those struggling to put meals on the table. In addition to garden produce, unpicked fruit trees in neighborhoods can be a valuable resource, preventing waste while fostering community connections.

Through initiatives like Fair Food, surplus produce is redirected to those who need it most, ensuring that nutritious food reaches families rather than ending up as waste.

Have a big harvest? Fairfood arrange collection!
Contact them info@fairfood.org.nz or 022 167 8963.

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