The National Food Waste Summit returns on 24-25 July, bringing together the brightest minds and leaders committed to creating a more productive, sustainable, and resilient Australian food system by ending food waste and food insecurity. In the lead-up to the summit, Food & Drink Business is profiling some of the changemakers that will be on-hand at the summit’s Trade Show. This week we talk to Robbie Watson from Refresh:Food.
Tell us about the business
Refresh:Food is an online B2B marketplace offering a new channel for growers to sell more of their produce to buyers across the country.
We’re a purpose led business enabling growers to sell their produce – regardless of its specifications – while playing a part in tackling food waste in Australia; an issue seeing volumes of edible food go to landfill while households continue to face food insecurity.
How does it work?
Using the Refresh:Food platform is an easy and intuitive process. First, download the app through the Apple or Google Play store and then sign up for free.
To get started listing produce, simply add details including harvest date, expiry date and price, while providing photographs and details of any visual defects or physical damage.
Since launching in October 2023, we’ve seen our platform grow to more that 40 active users and 60 fruit and vegetable varieties listed at any one time.
We’ve also partnered with some of Australia’s leading food rescue and hunger relief charities and organisations such as Foodbank, FareShare and OzHarvest.
What do those partnerships look like?
The OzHarvest team launched its Northern Territory operations six months ago to provide food relief to some of Australia’s most remote communities.
James Ware is OzHarvest’s Northern Territory project lead said in that time, it has delivered almost 60,000 kilograms of fresh, nourishing produce to communities in Darwin and beyond. We have played a key role in that.
James said, “Refresh:Food’s app has enabled us to have a much greater reach in the NT than we thought imaginable. It’s provided us with access to produce that may have otherwise gone to waste.
“Every week, we receive beautiful, fresh, quality produce from the platform. We either deliver this as is or transform the produce into delicious meals for those struggling to put food on the table. The food is not only nourishing, but also a way to connect and form real relationships with those in need. It’s a sign of respect and a gesture of care.”
If you look at how much all of our charity partners are using the platform, we have provided more than one million meals (based on a single meal of 250 grams) to those in need since we began.
What are your goals?
We’re still a young business, and we’re just getting started playing our part in addressing food waste in Australia.
We recently entered the Australian Food Pact, led by End Food Waste Australia, who are working to build a more sustainable, resilient and profitable food system, with a vision to halve food waste by 2030.
Through the Pact, we’re committed to driving awareness of food waste in Australia, exploring ways to partner across the value chain while continuing to work with food rescue and relief organisations.
In our efforts to raise awareness, we’re putting the Refresh:Food name out there by attending various events and exhibitions.
Of course, the National Food Waste Summit is one of the key events we’re looking forward to this year. We will be there as part of the Trade Show so attendees can see the app firsthand and how it could support their needs as a grower or buyer.
To learn more about what we do and our platform, check out our website or visit our LinkedIn page to see what we’re up to.
For more information about the National Food Waste Summit, click here.
To register, click here – and use the special Food & Drink Business reader discount code 75NFWS for $75 off your ticket.
