When one problem solved another, was the moment that Deborah Manning had a change in perspective. It was twelve years ago, while reading a newspaper in a café, that Deborah Manning came across two stories that changed her view of food, one about a ‘dumpster diver’ who lived off the edible food discarded by the supermarkets and the other about child poverty and food insecurity in New Zealand. It occurred to her that one problem, i.e., edible food waste, could be used to solve the other problem of food security. So, leaving her professional career as a lawyer, Manning established two food rescue and redistribution organisations: KiwiHarvest and the New Zealand Food Network.
KiwiHarvest is a national food rescue organisation that collects surplus and donated food and distributes it throughout New Zealand to community organisations, providing food support to those in need.
“I was inspired to establish KiwiHarvest and New Zealand Food Network out of a strong sense of social justice and a desire to address hunger and food insecurity issues in communities across Aotearoa,” said Manning, Founder & Strategic Engagement Advisor of KiwiHarvest.
Since its establishment in 2012, KiwiHarvest has rescued over 11 million kilos of food and delivered over 33 million meal equivalents to vulnerable Kiwis.
“I was also aware that the environmental impact of food waste was significant, with wasted food contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems. I saw food rescue as a way to mitigate these issues by diverting edible surplus food from landfills and redistributing it to those in need.”
According to Manning, mentorship is crucial for everyone. She also prioritises continuous learning and development since the field of food rescue is constantly evolving, with new technologies, best practices, and innovations emerging regularly.
“Our failures can allow us to try something else, push even harder, and reach higher. It is also important to be a mentor. To help someone else grow, help them push harder, reach higher, and be better.”
Developing strong relationships with food donors, recipient organisations, volunteers, and other stakeholders is crucial to succeed in food rescue. Therefore, investing time and effort into nurturing these relationships is imperative and invaluable in the long run. This is especially important in the current scenario as KiwiHarvest looks to form partnerships with businesses nationwide to help fund operations and strategic plans for innovation and growth in 2024.
