Bay of Plenty Labour MP Angie Warren-Clark has today requested that the Environment Select Committee initiate a targeted briefing process to investigate the current state of food waste in New Zealand.

This request received cross-party support from the Committee.

'Every year Kiwis send over 122,500 tonnes of food to landfill, all of which could have been eaten. This is enough to feed the whole of Dunedin for two years. Wasting this food also costs the average household $563 a year."

Before coming to Parliament, Angie Warren-Clark managed Tauranga Women's Refuge, which worked closely with its local food rescue organisation to reduce both waste and food insecurity for the women and families it helped.

'Since I became an MP in 2017, I have spoken with a number of waste minimisation organisations and food rescue groups. I have been impressed by the passion and work occurring in this space. But it is clear to me we need to start engaging with this problem using a nation-wide approach”.

The Committee will be contacting a list of over 100 organisations and individuals over the coming weeks to submit.

The Committee plans to appoint a specialist advisor and will report back to the Government with recommendations in early 2019.

'Our Committee believes that a targeted approach, focusing on the prevention and redistribution of food, is the best way to address the issue."

The Committee will use a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework for its investigation.

'Food waste relates to at least six of the 17 SDGs that New Zealand signed up to in 2015. Target 12.3 commits us to halving global food waste by 2030 – the Environment Committee wants to play our part in helping with this”.

Angie hopes that looking into the problem will benefit more than just New Zealand's environment.

'Food waste covers social, economic and environmental issues. By tackling food waste, it will be a triple win”.