Advocacy
OzHarvest is committed to achieving the national goal to halve food waste by 2030 (in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals) and to increase food security for all Australians. We work with all levels of government, aligned stakeholders and the food relief sector to push for change at scale.
Advocacy
OzHarvest is committed to achieving the national goal to halve food waste by 2030 (in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals) and to increase food security for all Australians. We work with all levels of government, aligned stakeholders and the food relief sector to push for change at scale.
Government Advocacy
OzHarvest advocates to all levels of government to tackle food waste across the supply chain and to improve food security for Australian households. We use any opportunity to elevate the issues of food waste and food insecurity, including making submissions, welcoming politicians into vans, and working alongside the food relief and rescue sector and organisations such as End Food Waste Australia to amplify our impact.
Community Advocacy
Every year, OzHarvest undertakes a Community Needs Survey with the 1,500 charities we support with food delivery. The survey helps us understand the issues facing charities and the people they support, which helps inform the advocacy needs of our wider network, so that we can collaborate to address them.
We work closely with our charity network to ensure organisations of all sizes can participate in government processes. In 2024 we wrote an open letter to the Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into Food Insecurity, signed by 50 of our charity partners. We will continue to use any opportunity to amplify the voices of our community, please get in touch if you would like to collaborate.
Advocacy for Charity Sector
In Australia, the charity sector employs 1.3 million people with an economic contribution of more than $150 billion – more than 5% of our GDP. It’s equivalent in size to the Australian retail sector, education or the public administration and safety sector! When COVID-19 first hit, OzHarvest joined forces with other organisations calling on the government to not overlook the charity sector in the economic stimulus discussions.
“We can stop events. We can stop sporting matches. But we cannot stop feeding people,” Ronni Kahn AO.
Join our movement!
OzHarvest believes in the power of collective action and is focused on bringing together passionate supporters to champion change in their communities and beyond. Individuals can influence decision-makers to reduce food waste and food insecurity. We ran a food waste petition in 2024 and a whopping 27,000 of you signed it! We want to build on this momentum, and keep pressure on government.
If you share our vision for a world where food is valued and not wasted and want to join our community of change-makers, please click below to stay connected for future opportunities to support big-picture changes and national issues. Your voice can make a difference!
Did you know?
– OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn AO worked with pro bono lawyers to lobby state governments to change the law to allow food donors to donate surplus food to charities without fear of liability. The Civil Liabilities Amendment Act was passed in NSW in 2005 and other states followed – allowing our food rescue to flourish.
– OzHarvest was instrumental in setting Australia’s target to halve food waste by influencing a Government tripartite agreement in 2015 and establishing a collaborative industry stakeholder group – The Zero Food Waste Forum. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were established later that year.
– The food rescue and relief sector is made up of many organisations across the country who all help feed people in need. On national issues we work alongside Foodbank Australia and SecondBite, to push for systems change.
OzHarvest and UN Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 2
With five million Australians experiencing food insecurity each year, OzHarvest food rescue operations, food app and food relief services provide fresh and nutritious food to over 1500 charities across the country feeding people from vulnerable backgrounds.
Goal 4
OzHarvest runs three education programs to create positive impact, strengthen community connections, improve life skills, increase healthy eating and food waste awareness, targeting primary school kids, ‘at risk’ youth and families in need.
Goal 12
OzHarvest is specifically focused on working towards achieving SDG 12.3: To halve food waste per capita by 2030. Working with our network of partners, food donors, volunteers, community organisations and using our voice to influence others and inspire action.
Goal 13
Protecting our planet is a top priority, and we publicly advocate for climate action. With reducing food waste cited as the third most effective way to reduce emissions and address climate change, our work is more important than ever. With our network of food donors we are saving good food from ending up in landfill. Every kilogram of food rescued, saves 6.6kgs of greenhouse gases from polluting the environment.
Goal 17
OzHarvest is dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals across its network of like-minded partners, including our corporate partners, food donors, our yellow army of volunteers, the organisations who come through our doors to cook for a cause, our drivers, our staff and the charities we support – we are all in partnership to achieve the SDG goals and protect our planet.
Goal 13
Protecting our planet is a top priority, and we publicly advocate for climate action. With reducing food waste cited as the third most effective way to reduce emissions and address climate change, our work is more important than ever. With our network of food donors we are saving good food from ending up in landfill. Every kilogram of food rescued, saves 6.6kgs of greenhouse gases from polluting the environment.
Goal 17
OzHarvest is dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals across its network of like-minded partners, including our corporate partners, food donors, our yellow army of volunteers, the organisations who come through our doors to cook for a cause, our drivers, our staff and the charities we support – we are all in partnership to achieve the SDG goals and protect our planet.
Goal 2
With five million Australians experiencing food insecurity each year, OzHarvest food rescue operations, food app and food relief services provide fresh and nutritious food to over 1500 charities across the country feeding people from vulnerable backgrounds.
Goal 4
OzHarvest runs three education programs to create positive impact, strengthen community connections, improve life skills, increase healthy eating and food waste awareness, targeting primary school kids, ‘at risk’ youth and families in need.
Goal 12
OzHarvest is specifically focused on working towards achieving SDG 12.3: To halve food waste per capita by 2030. Working with our network of partners, food donors, volunteers, community organisations and using our voice to influence others and inspire action.
Goal 13
Protecting our planet is a top priority, and we publicly advocate for climate action. With reducing food waste cited as the third most effective way to reduce emissions and address climate change, our work is more important than ever. With our network of food donors we are saving good food from ending up in landfill. Every kilogram of food rescued, saves 6.6kgs of greenhouse gases from polluting the environment.
Goal 17
OzHarvest is dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals across its network of like-minded partners, including our corporate partners, food donors, our yellow army of volunteers, the organisations who come through our doors to cook for a cause, our drivers, our staff and the charities we support – we are all in partnership to achieve the SDG goals and protect our planet.
