September 9, 2025 • 4 mins
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, with the estimated percentage of household food waste dropping to 10.9% from 12.2% in 2023, according to the 2025 Rabobank-KiwiHarvest Food Waste Survey. We chat with Rabobank’s Head of Sustainable Business Development to learn more about the survey.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's an interesting report that has come across my desk.
Key weis are wasting less of their food now than
they were two years ago. This is one of the
findings from the twenty twenty five Rabobank Key We Harvest
Food Waste survey. But we're still Blake Holgate from Rabobank
wasting about three billion dollars per annum on food that
(00:23):
we don't eat.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
That's right, Jamie. So you know the positive from the
reporters household waste. Food waste has come down from twelve
point two percent of total foods been in twenty twenty
three to ten point eight percent this year. But as
you highlight Jamie's, you know, that's three billion dollars of
food that has been purchased and chucked out and that
(00:44):
equates to just over thirteen hundred dollars a household annually.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
If only the entire population was baby boomers like myself,
we would only be wasting six point eight percent of
our food. Gen Z, the young ones there wasting seventeen
point eight percent of their food.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, it's interesting. So one of the breakdowns who do
on the stats has been moved to reach the generations
Z y X and baby boomers, and it does progressively
start with the younger generations wasting more right to each
generational gap at the least, like you say, baby boomers
wasting lease, I will give it to gen Z. They
(01:23):
were the biggest improver in terms of reducing food waste
since we last serve two years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
From a very low base.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Though Blake had twenty eight percent of the food they
purchased two years ago, they told us are wasting, and
they've dropped down to approximately seventeen percent.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Another couple of interesting stats I picked up from the survey,
and no surprise here, males waste more food eleven point
five percent compared to females. And this is the other
one is no surprise either. Urban dwellers waste more at
twelve point four percent than the rural counterparts do at
seven point eight percent. So ideally, Blake, what we need
in this country is more a rural based female baby boomers.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well in terms of food waste, Jamie, that that may
well be the case. I can't comment wider than food waste,
and the survey tells us. But yeah, no, you did
right reasonly close between the male and female split. But
that's actually a reasonable gap between urban and ruraled, Well,
it's there.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Average household food spend has only gone up two dollars
in the past two years from two hundred and thirty
eight dollars per week, which isn't much to two hundred
and forty, so effectively blake. Because we've had huge food
inflation in those two years, households have had to cut
back on the amount of food they buy.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yeah, I mean that's exactly I think, Well, that's that
tells us, Jamie. As you highlight, we noted that period
food price and inflation has been significantly more than the
two dollars a week that households are telling us have
increased their speed by. So what that tells us is
that the volume of food is one air that they've
had to cut down, and a third of respondents did
(03:06):
in fact tell us that they are practicing less food
than they did two years ago.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Reasons most frequently cited for food waste is number one,
food going off before you can eat it forty five percent.
And here's the one that we can definitely improve on
before use by and best before dates thirty three percent.
And I think some of those dates, I guess they've
got to be cautious on them. But we're throwing out
a hell of a lot of food because it's gone
(03:33):
past its best before date or whatever, but it's still
quite edible.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, and again it's important to remember the difference between
the best before date and use by date. Used by
date as as a food health safety recommendation, so you know,
we shouldn't be consuming after a used by date, but
best before data simply means from a desirability or you know,
how fresh it is. It might not be optimal, but
(04:00):
it's still very much consumable and will provide you with
the sustenance and nutrients that food contains.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
So all this is in the twenty twenty five Rabobank
Key we Harvest Food Waste Survey. You can read about
it on the rabobank website. And well done to you
rural dwelling female baby boomers. You're wasting the less food
or the less food of anyone in the country. Hey
Blake Holgate from Rabobank, thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Thanks Jennie
Here's an interesting report that has come across my desk.
Key weis are wasting less of their food now than
they were two years ago. This is one of the
findings from the twenty twenty five Rabobank Key We Harvest
Food Waste survey. But we're still Blake Holgate from Rabobank
wasting about three billion dollars per annum on food that
(00:23):
we don't eat.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
That's right, Jamie. So you know the positive from the
reporters household waste. Food waste has come down from twelve
point two percent of total foods been in twenty twenty
three to ten point eight percent this year. But as
you highlight Jamie's, you know, that's three billion dollars of
food that has been purchased and chucked out and that
(00:44):
equates to just over thirteen hundred dollars a household annually.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
If only the entire population was baby boomers like myself,
we would only be wasting six point eight percent of
our food. Gen Z, the young ones there wasting seventeen
point eight percent of their food.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, it's interesting. So one of the breakdowns who do
on the stats has been moved to reach the generations
Z y X and baby boomers, and it does progressively
start with the younger generations wasting more right to each
generational gap at the least, like you say, baby boomers
wasting lease, I will give it to gen Z. They
(01:23):
were the biggest improver in terms of reducing food waste
since we last serve two years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
From a very low base.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Though Blake had twenty eight percent of the food they
purchased two years ago, they told us are wasting, and
they've dropped down to approximately seventeen percent.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Another couple of interesting stats I picked up from the survey,
and no surprise here, males waste more food eleven point
five percent compared to females. And this is the other
one is no surprise either. Urban dwellers waste more at
twelve point four percent than the rural counterparts do at
seven point eight percent. So ideally, Blake, what we need
in this country is more a rural based female baby boomers.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well in terms of food waste, Jamie, that that may
well be the case. I can't comment wider than food waste,
and the survey tells us. But yeah, no, you did
right reasonly close between the male and female split. But
that's actually a reasonable gap between urban and ruraled, Well,
it's there.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Average household food spend has only gone up two dollars
in the past two years from two hundred and thirty
eight dollars per week, which isn't much to two hundred
and forty, so effectively blake. Because we've had huge food
inflation in those two years, households have had to cut
back on the amount of food they buy.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yeah, I mean that's exactly I think, Well, that's that
tells us, Jamie. As you highlight, we noted that period
food price and inflation has been significantly more than the
two dollars a week that households are telling us have
increased their speed by. So what that tells us is
that the volume of food is one air that they've
had to cut down, and a third of respondents did
(03:06):
in fact tell us that they are practicing less food
than they did two years ago.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Reasons most frequently cited for food waste is number one,
food going off before you can eat it forty five percent.
And here's the one that we can definitely improve on
before use by and best before dates thirty three percent.
And I think some of those dates, I guess they've
got to be cautious on them. But we're throwing out
a hell of a lot of food because it's gone
(03:33):
past its best before date or whatever, but it's still
quite edible.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, and again it's important to remember the difference between
the best before date and use by date. Used by
date as as a food health safety recommendation, so you know,
we shouldn't be consuming after a used by date, but
best before data simply means from a desirability or you know,
how fresh it is. It might not be optimal, but
(04:00):
it's still very much consumable and will provide you with
the sustenance and nutrients that food contains.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
So all this is in the twenty twenty five Rabobank
Key we Harvest Food Waste Survey. You can read about
it on the rabobank website. And well done to you
rural dwelling female baby boomers. You're wasting the less food
or the less food of anyone in the country. Hey
Blake Holgate from Rabobank, thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Thanks Jennie
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