Maria Madill - Kiwi Harvest.
Our keynote speaker on 4 April was Maria Madill manager of Kiwiharvest a perishable food rescue NGO.
Maria, a former Rotary exchange student (and very happy to find the jacket still fits!), runs Kiwiharvests Auckland operations. The aim is to stop food going to waste by rescuing surplus food from commercial bakeries supermarkets and other vendors and delivering it to Auckland’s charities to feed those in need.
Kiwiharvest aims to reduce the negative impacts of food waste on our communities and our environment by redistributing that surplus and helping to create positive social change. Maria pointed out that 1.3 million tons of food are wasted every year in New Zealand. In New Zealand 40% of food is wasted before it gets to market. We only see perfect tomatoes, perfect bananas and perfect apples. We do not see those which are marked slightly soiled or do not meet the marketing requirements of the vendors.
New Zealand produces enough food to feed 20 million people yet tons are thrown away. Kiwiharvest rescues this provides it to social agencies enabling those agencies to assist those in need rather than focusing on feeding those in need.
Kiwiharvest collects a lot of food. About 300 tonnes or 870,000 meals. 71% of what is collected is fresh produce, 6% meat and dairy 8% bread and 12% groceries. The totals are growing daily as more and more entities engage with Kiwiharvest.
One of the interesting outcomes of Kiwiharvest is that it introduces people to foods they otherwise did not know existed. Maria told the story of delivering fresh leaks to a social enterprise in South Auckland were a fellow asked what leaks were when he was unloading them from the van.
Kiwiharvest is supported by Goodman group who have enabled them to set up shop in Ellerslie. Other supporters of provided 2 refrigerated trucks which enable pallet loads of food to be picked up and moved to storage and thence to the social agencies are food is being distributed to. The food that Kiwiharvest received is donated. The distribution services done for free stop the entities that Kiwiharvest donates to the entities Kiwiharvest staff know. They are checked to see that food is properly handled managed and used.
One of the downsides of Kiwiharvest's activities is that suppliers of surplus products realise that they are producing surplus food and start to manage their internal supply chains so as to minimise the production of surplus food that could potentially go to waste will be rescued by Kiwiharvest.
Maria’s address was well received by members who could see the impact of what Kiwiharvest is doing in Auckland and throughout New Zealand.
For more information Kiwiharvests web site address is www.kiwiharvest.org.nz
Following on from the success of the 
five with autism is bullied and rejected by his peers. That lasts for two years - then he retreats to his home where he is schooled year after year with a parent steering and teaching him with love and sincerity. That boy will be onstage at the Concert For Autism where he will be conducting an orchestra, playing violin and standing tall in those triumphant moments.”
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