People help themselves to bins of rescued apples Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Food rescue organisations fear thousands of tonnes of surplus food could end up in landfills if funding due to run out in June is not renewed.
The Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance is the umbrella organisation for nearly 40 front line services around the country - such as Kiwi Harvest, Kaibosh as well as smaller programmes.
The New Zealand Food Network distributes donations of bulk surplus food throughout the country through dozens of partner orgnisations.
Between them they estimate they deliver over $100m worth of food to communities in need last year, saving food from ending up in landfill.
But from the end of June, funding of $10m a year from the Ministry of Social Development will end.
Iain Lees-Galloway, General Manager, Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance, says if the funding isn't extended, some food rescue organisations will have to close, and many will have to scale back.
