NZ Food Network Report Puts Food Hubs At Centre Of Hunger Response

NZ Food Network's 2026 annual report has put food hubs and frontline organisations at the centre of New Zealand's food-insecurity response.

The organisation says it distributed more than 7.3 million kilograms of food and household essentials in the past year, equivalent to 14.3 million meal equivalents. That food moved through 65 Food Hubs and reached more than 2,000 frontline organisations nationwide, supported by 165 product donors, including 46 first-time donors.

The report also gives the work an environmental frame. NZ Food Network estimates that its food rescue and redistribution avoided 15.7 million kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, while delivering food and essentials at an average cost of 36 cents per meal equivalent.

The pressure on households is not abstract. The organisation's inaugural Hunger Monitor research, conducted by Ipsos, found one in three households experienced some form of food insecurity during the previous 12 months. NZ Food Network says the issue is appearing across income levels, including among families encountering food insecurity for the first time.

The practical examples show why local operators matter. The annual report highlights sourdough and fruit-bun distribution through The Bread Project, a Nestle New Zealand meal-base partnership created for NZ Food Network, emergency food support during severe weather, and a Bay of Plenty avocado rescue that recovered 42.6 tonnes of fruit after storm damage.