Isabella Ross

‘Wasting less food starts with us.’ These are the words of the UN Environment’s Think, Eat Save campaign, urging citizens across the globe to be more conscious of food wastage. To lots of us, the simple act of going to the grocery shop, purchasing, food, and then having a fridge full of produce is undervalued. Sadly, it is the case that many Aussies are doing it tough, with one in five Australians experiencing food insecurity at some point in their life. Given Australia produces enough food for more than 60 million people, it is difficult to believe the one in five statistic.

In comes OzHarvest. During the past few months, food relief has been at an all-time high, with the OzHarvest kitchens at full speed producing heart-warming healthy meals to help charities meet an ever-increasing demand. “Food rescue has always been the heart of our business and our efforts are now 100% focused on ensuring that we can still get a regular supply of fresh and nutritious food to the millions of Aussies that now find themselves relying on food relief,” said an OzHarvest spokesperson.

ForPurposeCo is also doing great work with their ‘Juice For Good’ vending machines popping up across Sydney. Approximately half of all Australian grown fruit and veggies don’t make it off the farm, simply because of an odd shape, colour or size. ForPurposeCo has rescued lots of these unloved oranges. Locals can visit a machine, purchase a 100% fresh orange juice for $4 and all proceeds go directly to OzHarvest. Locations include Hornsby Westfield, Macquarie Centre and Chatswood Westfield.

To make a worthwhile difference, increase awareness and even make a donation visit: https://www.ozharvest.org/

What You Can Do:

  • Plan grocery lists and items beforehand so over ordering doesn’t occur.
  • Learn about eating sustainably and seasonally.
  • Check use-by dates.
  • Store food correctly to make it last longer.
  • Embrace the ‘use it up’ approach to cooking.
  • Donate food, money or time to OzHarvest and other charities.