Healthy food for people in need: New Zealand BayWa subsidiary sets up a charity

The BayWa subsidiary T&G Global, market leader in New Zealand's fruit trade, is strengthening its charitable commitment by establishing a new charity. Under the umbrella of the Fairgrow charity, people who are unable to afford fresh fruit and vegetables will in future have easier access to healthy food. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many New Zealand families are suffering from growing financial problems, which has a negative impact on their ability to access food, including nutritious fresh fruit and vegetable. At the same time, 122,500 tonnes of food worth NZD872 million (approximately €509 million) go to waste every year.

Fairgrow plans to put an end to this conflict through a variety of initiatives. In cooperation with its 1,200 grower partners, surplus of fruit and vegetables will be aggregated from independent growers as well as from within T&G's own business and will be donated to New Zealanders in need. The charity will also raise funds to enable to purchase fresh foods that are difficult to obtain or in short supply, as well as financial contributions towards helping harvest fruit and vegetables which might be left in the ground or on trees, so they too can be donated. For the collection and distribution of food donations, Fairgrow relies on T&G transport and warehouse logistics and works closely with its partners in the New Zealand Food Network. The network is a Government-supported charity and was set up in July 2020. It acts as a central hub for collecting and storing food donations from producers and suppliers and storing and distributing them nationwide through aid organizations to New Zealanders who need them most.

For more than 20 years, BayWa AG itself has also been working with the BayWa Foundation to promote healthy nutrition. The education programme 'Gemüse pflanzen. Gesundheit ernten.' (planting vegetables, harvesting health) teaches children at school and at home in a hands-on way what constitutes a healthy diet. At the time of the initial COVID-related restrictions during the pandemic in spring, the BayWa Foundation also ensured the free supply of food every day to front-line workers, senior citizens, families with terminally ill children and facilities for homeless people.

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