A new campaign is set to make a big difference in helping to reduce waste and provide more food security for our region.

NE Waste in collaboration with Councils, Northern Rivers Food, Northern Rivers Area Health Service, NSW Environment Protection Authority and the Love Food Hate Waste Program, have been working to address issues around food waste, nutrition, food security and sustainability.

This collaboration has led to the new regional food donation campaign, ‘It’s Food For Thought’, which aims to attract new food donors and support food donation agencies in feeding people, not landfill.

“According to the 2020 Foodbank Hunger Report, charities have seen a significant increase in the frequency of demand for food relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Karen Rudkin, project coordinator for NE Waste. “In 2019, 15 per cent of Australians experiencing food insecurity were seeking food relief at least once a week. In 2020, this doubled to 31 per cent.”

Weather events such as floods, as well as significant changes to government support payments, have put food relief agencies under even more pressure.

NE Waste has developed a range of resources aimed at supporting and encouraging food businesses to donate excess or surplus food products or meals. This includes a free toolkit, which highlights where and how to donate and the economic incentives to do so. It also debunks common myths around health and safety issues when donating.

“We aim to increase the amount of food which is donated locally to food donation agencies,” Ms Rudkin said.

“This will support those agencies to access a wide range of healthy, nutritious foods for their clients, fulfil the growing demand and reduce freight costs associated with getting food from beyond our region.”

To find out how your business can get involved visit www.newaste.org.au/fooddonation

This article appeared in the Dunoon and District Gazette, April-May 2021.