OzHarvest’s advocacy efforts in 2024 set the stage for continued collaboration, community action and systemic change in tackling food insecurity and food waste in Australia. 

Connecting people to our cause is crucial and we welcomed 49 Members of Parliament to experience our impact firsthand, including jumping in our yellow vans, seeing our education programs in action and hosting an incredible Cooking for a Cause at Parliament House!  

Our voice grew stronger through strategic government advocacy, delivering tailored electorate reports and contributing nine significant submissions to shape policy change, from promoting food waste reduction in the circular economy to addressing the root causes of food insecurity. In Victoria, we rallied almost 50 charity partners to sign a joint letter addressing food insecurity and shared our community insights on the increased need, giving evidence to the State Enquiry.

Working closely with food relief sector partners Foodbank Australia and SecondBite/FareShare, we’re constantly pushing for meaningful change in food waste reduction and food security.  Our collaborative sector advocacy efforts on the National Food Donation Tax Incentive (a tax reform which could unlock 100 million meals per year), included hosting a media launch at OzHarvest HQ.

In Queensland and WA, sector aligned campaigning leads to strong engagement with State Government representatives.

This year has shown that when we combine grassroots action with policy advocacy, we can create lasting change that nourishes our country from the ground up. We kicked off community advocacy with our first petition to fight food waste, which was presented to Minister Plibersek in December, representing 26,800+ passionate community members demanding government action on food waste!