Food rescue charity OzHarvest, which officially launches its Adelaide chapter during May, will divert some of the 240,000 tonnes of food being thrown away in SA each year by collecting quality surplus food from registered food businesses to feed Adelaide’s vulnerable.
The charity’s truck criss-crosses Adelaide streets each day picking up excess food from caterers, bakeries, restaurants, wholesalers and hotels, such as the InterContinental Adelaide and the Adelaide Convention Centre. This good food is then delivered straight to charities who feed people in need.
Founding Director of OzHarvest and Australian of the Year (Local Hero) in 2010, Ronni Kahn, said the inception of OzHarvest in Adelaide has been well received in its first few months of operations, and the social and environmental benefits made it a win-win concept.
“Since commencing in January, OzHarvest Adelaide has rescued more than 40,000 meals, feeding thousands of South Australians who would otherwise go hungry. Without organisations such as OzHarvest this food would have ended up in landfill, also wasting the resources needed to produce it,” Ms Kahn said.
“On average every kilo of food OzHarvest rescues in SA avoids two kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions as well as the consumption of 143 litres of water – a commodity so precious in dry South Australia.”
Facilitated by UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide, OzHarvest Adelaide hopes to grow its SA fleet to a second truck in just a few months.
“Currently we have one truck in Adelaide collecting quality food from approximately 34 food donors and distributing to 24 charities, a number which continues to grow at a healthy rate,” Ms Kahn said.
“We’re well on our way to delivering our 50,000th meal within our first four months of operation, and the social and environmental implications of that are substantial.”
University of South Australia PhD Candidate Christian Reynolds, who’s research is on the environmental and economic costs of domestic food wastage in South Australia, said in just three months of operation, OzHarvest Adelaide has redistributed more than 11 tonnes of food, which if dumped into landfill would create in excess of eight tonnes of carbon dioxide.
“With the collection rate set to increase, it is likely OzHarvest Adelaide will prevent over 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere this year alone,” Mr Reynolds said.
The official launch of OzHarvest in Adelaide will take place at the Central Markets on the 17th May at 10.15am for a 10.30am start. OzHarvest founder, Ronni Kahn and OzHarvest Adelaide ambassadors Maggie Beer and Keith Conlon will also be there for the launch.
To become a food donor, recipient charity or to find out how you can help visit
http://www.ozharvestadelaide.org
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