Zespri kiwifruit donation

As winter came to a close, stock levels across our network were beginning to tighten, so we reached out to our donor community to see whether any surplus food could be redirected to Food Hubs.

The team at Zespri answered that call by connecting NZFN with several kiwifruit industry packhouses that had surplus SunGold™ Kiwifruit looking for a home.

Working alongside Zespri and the packhouse teams, NZFN was able to coordinate the collection, transport, and redistribution of this nutritious produce. What began as a conversation quickly became an opportunity to ensure quality food could be redirected into communities rather than going to waste.

The donation came with some logistical challenges. The pallets stood more than two metres tall, and the fruit needed to be removed from its original packaging and repacked into NZFN cartons before distribution, with the original packaging returned for reuse.

Fortunately, our warehouse team and incredible volunteers were more than up to the task. Over several weeks, they carefully unpacked, sorted, repacked, and prepared the fruit for distribution through our Food Hub network.

What could have been a barrier to rescuing this food instead became an opportunity to demonstrate how NZFN works alongside donors to overcome logistical challenges and ensure quality produce reaches communities rather than going to waste. It's a great example of how NZFN can work with donors to find solutions, even when a donation requires a little extra creativity and effort.

Fresh produce donations like this are always highly valued by Food Hubs. While demand for healthy food remains high, access to nutritious fruit and vegetables can often be limited for many of the individuals and whānau seeking support.

The timing of this donation couldn't be better. As communities continue to navigate the final weeks of cold weather and look ahead to spring, SunGold™ Kiwifruit provides a welcome boost of vitamin C and other essential nutrients. Alongside their nutritional benefits, they're also a delicious addition to food parcels and community programmes.

The donation has already been making an impact, with Food Hubs sharing the fruit far and wide throughout their communities.

“The kiwifruit is finding some creative uses along the way. Some schools are turning kiwifruit into jam for their breakfast clubs, while local pensioners are using it in baking to share with others. And the popularity of the fruit certainly isn’t in doubt. One school was cautious about how much to take on its first delivery, only to discover the children wanted much more.  It’s community food support doing what it does best: good food reaching people who can put it to good use.” - ADCR - Aotearoa Disaster and Community Resources, Coromandel

The donation is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when growers, producers, and community organisations work together to ensure good food reaches people rather than going to waste.

Ngā mihi nui to the kiwifruit industry packhouses for their generosity, and to the team at Zespri for helping bring this opportunity to life. Their support has helped ensure quality, nutritious produce reaches communities where it can make the greatest difference.