A third of Australian households are going hungry while millions of tonnes of food are tossed into landfills each year. It seems a paradox: so much food wasted, yet so many people struggling to get a meal. Now, Foodbank Australia is calling for a solution that could help tackle both problems at once—a National Food Donation Tax Incentive. But will the government bite?
The Hunger Crisis: Food Insecurity on the Rise
The statistics are heartbreaking. According to Foodbank’s annual Hunger Report, vulnerable groups—particularly renters and people with disabilities or health issues—are hit hardest by food insecurity. Renters, in particular, face an alarming rate of hunger, with nearly half reporting they can’t afford enough food. Meanwhile, a staggering 7.6 million tonnes of food is sent to landfills annually in Australia, despite 70% of it being perfectly edible. In a country as wealthy as Australia, how can this be happening?
A Bold Proposal: Tax Incentives to Redirect Surplus Food
Foodbank’s proposal is simple but bold: provide a tax incentive for food producers to donate surplus food to charity, rather than throwing it away. “It’s cheaper for food producers to throw out perfectly good food than to donate it,” says Kylea Tink, the charity’s CEO to News. “This is madness when millions of Australians are going without meals.”
It’s not a new idea, but it’s one that Foodbank believes could make a real difference. The National Food Donation Tax Incentive was first introduced by Senator Dean Smith last year, but it was rejected by a Senate committee. Critics feared it would disproportionately benefit large supermarkets, which already have significant resources. But Foodbank isn’t backing down. Tink insists the proposed changes would target small and medium-sized businesses, not the big players. The proposal includes mechanisms like capping claims and limiting eligibility to businesses with a turnover of under $50 million.
The Potential Impact: 100 Million Meals and a Greener Future
Could this really make a difference? Foodbank believes so. If adopted, the changes could deliver enough food for 100 million meals, providing a lifeline to the millions of Australians struggling with food insecurity. But beyond that, it could contribute to Australia’s ambitious goal of halving food waste by 2030.
Of course, there are challenges ahead. The ongoing cost-of-living crisis, rising inflation, and stagnant wages all exacerbate the hunger issue. Foodbank argues that addressing food insecurity isn’t just about charity—it’s about justice. By implementing tax incentives to support food donations, the government would help ensure that no one has to go hungry in a country where food waste is rampant.
A Step Toward a Sustainable Future
The push for a National Food Donation Tax Incentive isn’t just a quick fix, but a step toward a more sustainable and compassionate future. It’s a smart, practical way to address food waste and hunger—two problems that don’t have to coexist. Whether the government will step up to the plate, though, remains to be seen.
