The popular team engagement program is led by OzHarvest chefs, who share their zero-waste cooking skills as they show corporate teams how to transform quality rescued food into delicious and nutritious meals, that OzHarvest then to deliver to local charities.
MCEC chief executive Peter King said it was the ideal partnership for MCEC, which is passionate about sustainability and being community-minded.
“OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause gives us the opportunity to tie all of that together, with a team building aspect too,” King said.
“The events industry can contribute a lot of food waste, so this is the perfect way to try and reverse that cycle, and give back to those in Melbourne who need it most.”
OzHarvest Victoria state manager Bernado Tobias, expressed his gratitude to MCEC, and said the partnership has come at an important time.
“As we are now finally out of lockdown, Cooking for a Cause is the perfect way for corporate teams to reconnect with each other in a fun and meaningful way. You get to see your impact immediately through the number of meals cooked and of course, you get a taster too!”
With one third of all food produced wasted (globally), and one in every six Australians experiencing food insecurity, the program highlights the national issues of food waste and hunger.
Supporting the UN Sustainability Goals, OzHarvest is committed to halving food waste by 2030, while MCEC has developed an ambitious five-year sustainability strategy which seeks to achieve zero food waste by 2025.
