Hawke's Bay charity saves tonnes of food from landfill

A Hawke's Bay food rescue charity is saving truckloads of food from the landfill which couldn't get to market because of the pandemic.

Cancelled orders and logistical problems getting products exported have seen extra produce turning up at Nourished for Nil over the past two years.

That's on top of the usual mislabelled, mishapen or mishandled produce which won't appeal to shoppers, according to the charity's founder Christina McBeth.

Since its establishment five years ago, the charity has saved and distributed  2.5 million kilograms of free food, much of it destined for the landfill.

"There is so much out there which is potentially going to waste, but hey we'll take it," McBeth said.

Marion Shakespeare is trying to find room in a large chest freezer for another pack of sausages at Nourished for Nil's headquarters in Hastings.

She is the charity's produce co-ordinator and works with volunteers to collect, repack and distribute the food to about 1200 families each week.

One of the freezers is filled to the the brim with frozen vegetables labelled in Korean.

"This hasn't been able to go or the company has said, stop, we don't want anymore at the moment," Shakespeare explained.

She took Country Life on a tour of the packing and store rooms laden with produce from gluten free breads, packets of gourmet salmon, bins of fruit and vegetables to trays and trays of pies.

"They say if food waste was a country, it'd be the third largest carbon emitter behind China and the US," McBeth said.

If left to rot in landfill, it would release methane gas and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

"One of the rubbish trucks that drives around Hastings says 60 percent of the rubbish in the truck is still edible.

"We just want to highlight it. We're all guilty. We're not shaming anybody but it is a consciousness that we just have to adopt."

McBeth said they had seen an increase in the types and numbers of people coming to pick up the rescued food since food costs started soaring.

"A lot of new faces ... a lot of relieved faces."

Taking the step to join the queue was a big deal for some people, she said.

"When they see what they get some people cry, some people just stand there and go, are you sure this is free?"

It can take up to seven hours a day to collect the food which comes direct from orchards or community gardens, supermarkets and cafes.

People with a glut of fruit from their back garden even drop by with boxes of produce.

"Peope love the fact that ... oh, I have a laden feijoa tree, I've got a massive orange tree, they love that they can bring it somewhere."

One man even grew vegetables on his two acres just for the charity.

"He loved the concept."

Ron Netane is leaving the hub loaded up with bags of bananas, potatoes and pies, and stops to chat with others in the queue.

He told Country Life things were expensive at the supermarket these days and coming here, he was not only able to fill his fridge, but meet friends and have a chat.

"They can (receive free food) with dignity. They're not made to feel bad," McBeth said.

And she said it's about more than just the food.

"They can have a social interaction with other people that might be waiting or some of the volunteers that collect the food.

"We're not taking pity on people. We're not even interested in that side. We're interested in getting this food out and making a connection."