Angela Calver: Why are food rescues doing the $70 million job of the Government?
Finance Minister Nicola Willis handed out a few lollies last week but is it enough for whānau to survive? Photo / Mark Mitchell
Witnessing last week’s Government cash-boost announcement was akin to watching a band-aid applied to a severed limb.
While increasing the minimum wage and other benefits will slightly alleviate the daily barrage of the cost-of-living crisis, a larger crack remains in the social support system - a $70 million crack, to be specific, but more on that soon.
Will the payment increases make a long-lasting difference to those facing financial hardship? Unlikely. The Ministry of Health* reported that the number of Kiwi children experiencing food insecurity has seen the biggest year-on-year jump in over a decade - that’s one in five children (aged up to 14) currently living in households where food runs out often or sometimes.
The sad truth is that for many families, after covering essentials like rent, utilities, and transport, there’s often not enough left to afford adequate meals. Food rescues and food banks are witnessing unprecedented demand, indicative of a crisis requiring urgent and comprehensive action.
The man on top (Christopher Luxon) said it himself: “We have record numbers of middle-income working New Zealand using foodbanks across the country”.
Food rescues like KiwiHarvest offer a lifeline to communities by redirecting good and edible surplus food from landfills to those in need. From the 40-plus food rescues currently operating in Aotearoa, the amount of food distributed equates to $70m worth of purchased food annually, operating on a mere fraction of that budget (which is getting slashed every year).
KiwiHarvest alone provides food to 220 charitable organisations nationwide, with another 29 on our waiting list.
To cut a long story short, food rescues are filling a vital job that should be shared with the Government. While our team and others tirelessly strive to fill the gap, it’s disheartening to witness a system where these essential services are surviving on dwindling government support. Soon, the responsibility of ensuring people don’t starve will fall solely on the shoulders of charitable organisations.
The cash boost is a baby step in a good direction, but there are leaps and bounds to be made.
How? The Government must acknowledge the vital role of food rescues and ensure their sustainability. The proposal from The Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance calls for a commitment to funding that can adequately respond to baseline food insecurity and future surges. Yet, there’s been a deafening silence from policymakers, leaving vital organisations struggling to keep their doors open.
Continuing on this path spells disaster for New Zealand. More food rescues will shut their operations due to lack of funding, exacerbating food insecurity for already vulnerable communities.
Without immediate action, the cycle of deprivation will persist, casting a long shadow over the future of our nation.
It’s time for the Government to step up and prioritise the wellbeing of its people.
They don’t need to reinvent the wheel, they just need to see food rescue as the cost-efficient solution to our hunger crisis that it is. And unless they want to find a spare $70m once all the food rescues must close their doors, they must make the smarter decision with the budget right now.
Angela Calver is chief executive of KiwiHarvest - 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. With branches in Auckland, North Shore, Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown.