In the small town of Humpty Doo, located around 40 kilometres from Darwin in the Northern Territory, exists a Woolworths just like any other.
It’s where around 4,300 residents living in the area, , can go to buy the food items they need each day, just as most people do in the big smoke.
But, just like in any other regional town across the country, not everyone can afford to shop for fresh produce daily or get regular geographical access to shops. And, just like many supermarkets nationwide, Humpty Doo's Woolies regularly has a surplus of quality food that shoppers don't buy.
In fact, remote and regional areas have very high levels of food poverty and food relief is increasingly hard to access.
“Around 4 million Australians suffer from food insecurity or need food relief at any time in a year but not all of them live in urban Australia,” founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn tells SBS. “In fact, remote and regional areas have very high levels of food poverty and food relief is increasingly hard to access.”
It’s for this reason the organisation has just launched the new , designed to tackle the hunger crisis and prevent food waste in regional communities like Humpty Doo.
The app is the first of its kind in Australia. It aims to connect food businesses with food surpluses - including supermarkets, restaurants and bakeries - to charitable organisations that distribute food to people in need in regional, remote and rural areas.
The idea is that organisations have to first register with OzHarvest and then, download the app. The food donor enters the details of their surplus food on the app. A local charity receives a notification telling them about the food. Finally, the charity collects the food.
This technological process will attempt to eliminate the amount of waste going to landfill and in return, vulnerable people who need food will get to eat quality meals.
The new OzHarvest Food App is the first of its kind in Australia. (Image supplied by OzHarvest) Source: Supplied by OzHarvest
Making a difference in Humpty Doo
Humpty Doo participated in the pilot for the new technology, which involved 70 Woolworths stores across the country. The app connected the town’s Woolworths with the services of local charity, The Gathering that provides food to vulnerable locals.
Sharon Crook, CEO of says it was very difficult to source a regular supply of fresh food for people in need before using the app.
“We are now able to deliver a range of fresh and healthy food to the local community, two more remote communities feeding over 30 families and the emergency accommodation in Humpty Doo,” says Crook.
“We now collect fresh fruit and veg regularly from our local Woolworths, and we even get meat, which was a luxury before.”
Crook adds that providing food has had a massive flow-on effect in the lives of the people the charity serves. “I’ve seen people getting back on their feet, some are even volunteering to give back. It’s sparked a real sense of community.”
The app is expected to support an additional 600 charities by rescuing over 2,000 tonnes of food to provide an extra six million meals in the first year alone. (Image: OzHarvest) Source: OzHarvest
An app to go where yellow vans can't
Although the purpose of OzHarvest, a food rescue charity, is to collect quality surplus food and distribute it to people in need and divert food waste from landfill, the fact is there are many rural and regional locations that its bright yellow vans can’t reach.
“We are reaching remote and regional areas through technology,” says Kahn. “But the difference is that it’s technology with heart.”
Kahn explains that OzHarvest staff will oversee the functioning of the app to ensure connections are made between organisations and businesses that register and manage relationships.
“Let’s say for example Woolworths used the app to say that they had food and the organisation in Katherine didn’t respond to it, we would be chasing up the charity to ask what’s the issue and how can we help you get that food.”
“So we are reaching remote and regional areas through technology,” says Kahn. “But the difference is that it’s technology with heart.” (Image: OzHarvest) Source: Ozharvest
Helping the environment and feeding those in need
The app is expected to support an additional 600 charities by rescuing over 2,000 tonnes of food to provide an extra six million meals in the first year alone.
Kahn believes the app will also reach businesses and charities in communities with high numbers of Indigenous or migrant peoples and refugees who may be living in food poverty.
“It’s not fair to people in need, the country, the planet or the farmers who produce food that good food should go either to animals or landfill.
“So really, what we want to do, is amplify our reach and continue to do what we have done very successfully to-date in very built-up areas.”
The app is now available on all Android and IOS compatible devices.
Any local businesses with surplus food to donate or registered charities with capacity to collect the food can register or call 1800 108 006 for more information.
