Dark ages
OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought it wise to run the numbers through the old Casio.
Food Waste Action Week 2024 is encouraging New Zealanders to ‘Choose What You’ll Us’, highlighting the benefits of buying loose fruit and vegetables.
Love Food Hate Waste NZ says that New Zealanders throw away over 14,000 tonnes of bananas, potatoes, and apples each year.
“Shockingly, fruit and vegetables are in the top three most wasted food items in New Zealand, costing us approximately $36 million every year,” says Juno Scott-Kelly, Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s marketing and communications manager.
“We know the cause of this waste comes down to food going off before it can be eaten and too much of it being purchased,” she says.
She says that with grocery prices 5.4% higher than they were a year ago, food waste has become a top concern for many Kiwis.
“When we shop with a list and only buy what we need, we can not only save up to $1,500 a year but help reduce the climate-damaging greenhouse gases coming from rotting food in our landfills,” Scott-Kelly says.
In line with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, the government has committed to reducing food waste by 10% by 2030.
Love Food Hate Waste NZ is one of several projects funded by the Ministry for the Environment to tackle food waste in New Zealand households.
“The devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle on our food producers and the flow-on effects on food prices over the last year emphasizes the urgent need for households to think about how they use their food, and what they consider to be waste,” says Scott-Kelly.
Now in its fourth year, Food Waste Action Week began in the UK in 2021, in support of the UN Sustainable Development goal of halving food waste by 2030.
This year’s theme is designed to demonstrate how valuable food is in our lives, how it unites people and how using up everything we buy saves money, time and the planet.
“We have lots of exciting things happening during Food Waste Action Week, so keep an eye on the Love Food Hate Waste Facebook and Instagram page over the week for great produce tips, recipes, and our quiz to help you discover how to only ‘Choose What You’ll Use’,” Scott-Kelly concludes.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.
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OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.