The new Rabobank-KiwiHarvest Food Waste Research
has found that while New Zealanders are taking positive
steps to reduce food waste, the estimated value of food
thrown away by Kiwi households continues to increase and is
now estimated to total $2.4 billion per
year.
The research also found Kiwis estimate
they waste 8.6 per cent of their weekly food spend, down
from 10.2 per cent in the previous survey in
2019.
Despite this drop, the estimated value of food
waste per household rose to $1259 per year (up from $1,121
in 2019) and the total value of food waste across the whole
New Zealand population increased to an estimated $2.4
billion per year (from $2 billion previously) due to food
price inflation, increased spend on household food and a
greater number of households.
Rabobank partnered with
KiwiHarvest early last year as part of the bank’s wider
commitment to work alongside its rural customers to support
sustainable food production and its global vison around
global food security. This new research is the next step in
that partnership.
With the value of wasted food
continuing to grow, Rabobank New Zealand CEO Todd Charteris
said it was encouraging to see Kiwis making positive
behavioural shifts to address the issue.