OzHarvest are hoping to revolutionise the grocery world while gently pointing out how insane a societal system is where people go hungry while four million tonnes of food rots in Australian landfills each year, slowly poisoning the planet with methane at the same time.
The OzHarvest Market has opened in Kensington, and is the first of its kind in Australia. Basically “rescued food” — which ranges from edible produce past use-by or sell-by dates to goods with incorrect packaging — is offered. The food is all free, or you can choose to donate any amount you see fit. You can also donate food yourself.
“Every time we save good food, we help the planet”, Ronni Kahn, the brains behind the OzHarvest movement tells Broadsheet. “Every time we take that food and feed hungry people, we address social issues.”
While the term “rescued-food” may elicit a few laughs, it’s a fairly apt description. Use-by and sell-by dates are often arbitrary, driven by legalities rather than whether or not certain foods are actually safely edible. OzHarvest works with 2,500 food donors, and keep tight tabs on freshness.
“We rescue food that can’t be sold by supermarkets and food retailers due to it being past its use-by date, but which is still perfectly good to eat,” Kahn explains. “If something has expired, that’s no reason to toss it away.
“We only take food that is absolutely edible. We’re showing our consumers how insane it is that this produce has been rejected. All of our drivers are trained in handling, they will not accept produce if they wouldn’t eat it themselves.”
It’s located at 147 Anzac Parade, and open Monday to Friday from 10am-2pm. Find out more here.
