Leading food rescue organisation OzHarvest Adelaide is providing 1,000 free, delicious and hearty hot meals made from rescued produce to members of the public on Monday 21 July in the name of highlighting the $8-10 billion[1] of food wasted annually in Australia.

The Think.Eat.Save event in Adelaide is one of many to be held across the country as part of an OzHarvest partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) aimed at tackling issues of food and nutrition security and sustainable food systems.

For the Adelaide event, OzHarvest SA is partnering with the University of Adelaide and National Wine Centre, with food being prepared by Chefs Philip Pope (National Wine Centre), Tze Khaw (Adelaide Convention Centre), Dennis Leslie (Adelaide Oval) and Tania Tauakume (The Playford).  An additional 200 meals has already been prepared by the Cooking School of Common Ground Ltd under the guidance of Rebecca Sullivan (Dirty Girl Kitchen).

The event will be officially opened by Parliamentary Secretary Kyam Maher representing Premier Weatherill. Food personalities, local identities and politicians will be rolling up their sleeves and helping to serve food on the day, including Callum Hann and Themis Chryssidis (Sprout Cooking) Adam Swanson, Kris Lloyd (Woodside Cheese Wrights), Minister for Social Inclusion Zoe Bettison and Deputy Lord Mayor Natasha Malani and Alistair Martin (Ripe Near Me). There also will be a panel discussion moderated by OzHarvest ambassador Keith Conlon.

State Manager of OzHarvest, Hayley Everuss said the aim of Think.Eat.Save 2014 is to highlight the large amount of food wasted in South Australia and across the country, where roughly one in five grocery bags is wasted.[2] Global stats are even more startling with 1.3 billion tonnes around the world annually.[3]

It’s a pretty striking paradox that we produce enough food on this planet to feed all seven billion of us yet so much goes to waste while so many go hungry.  From food production, to distribution, to consumption; all of us have the power to help create a more sustainable food culture; one where we simply waste less.

By attending Think.Eat.Save events, and making a pledge to help reduce food waste, people in Adelaide and across the country, can help to affect change for the better. – Hayley Everuss, SA State Manager

Since launching in South Australia three years ago, OzHarvest has rescued 600 tonnes of good food that was destined for landfill (equating to about 1.8 million meals) and there is still significant unmet demand – both in terms of food that can be rescued, as well as partner agencies keen to take it.

Jonathan Pheasant, Director of the Office of Services and Resources at the University of Adelaide, said the work of OzHarvest is unique and makes a real impact in the community, and the University of Adelaide is proud to be a partner.

University of Adelaide eateries have been donating food to OzHarvest since 2011. To date we have donated more than 9,000kgs of food (equivalent to 27,000 meals) which would have otherwise ended up as landfill. Jonathan Pheasant

According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) n the next few years, food consumption is expected to increase by around 30 per cent due to population growth, while the effects of climate change are expected to reduce agricultural yields by up to 5 per cent in some areas. They also project that cutting the rate of food loss and waste in half by 2050 would close 20 per cent of this food gap.

– EVENT DETAILS FOLLOW –

DATE & TIME: The University of Adelaide, Monday, 21 July from 11.30am – 2.30pm

RSVP & PLEDGE HERE: www.ozharvest.eventbrite.com.au

 Social media tags: @ozharvest #ozharvestsa #thinkeatsave

@UNEP #SaveFood @FAOnews @save_food_news

 For more media information, images or interviews with Hayley Everuss, SA State Manager of OzHarvest please contact:

Vicki Cirillo at communikate et al on [email protected] | 0427 020 909

Jane Evans at Jane Evans Consulting on [email protected] | 0400 362 275