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Meet Tracey Watene, the dynamo driving the operations and relationships at Fair Food. Tracey is passionate about addressing food insecurity in her community. As the Head of Operations and Relationships, she’s at the heart of Fair Food’s mission to “feed people, not landfill.” Today, Tracey shares her journey, the impact of Fair Food, and her insights on making a difference in Aotearoa.
Q: Tell us about your role at Fair Food, how did you get started with the organisation?
Kia ora, he uri ahau no Ngati Porou, Ngati Whatua Orakei, Ko Tracey Watene toku ingoa. My name is Tracey. I am the Head of Operations and relationships at Fair Food. My role is to manage the day-to-day operations of our warehouse and the relationships with our food donors — manufacturers, supermarkets, growers, corporations, and the general public.
I’m a born and raised West Aucklander and have seen people in my community and neighborhood experience food insecurity. That’s had a profound impact on me and Fair Food’s kaupapa of ‘feeding people, not landfill’ resonates deeply. Supporting those experiencing hardship and seeing the joy our work brings fills my cup every day
Q: How does Fair Food source and distribute surplus food, what is your role in this process?
We have existing relationships with Farro Fresh, Woolworths, and Foodstuffs stores across Auckland. Six days a week we visit them and collect the surplus and unsold produce, dairy, frozen products, and dry ambient goods. The food is then hand-sorted each day by our volunteers. The sorted food is stored in 15kg boxes and then distributed back out to over 50 charity groups that provide food to the community. Part of my role is to onboard new supermarkets and manufacturers and provide the initial induction and training to the staff of those stores.
Q: What are the biggest obstacles to food security for people in Aotearoa at the moment?
One of the barriers we see is access to affordable, healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate kai. NZ produces enough food to feed 40 million people yet 1 in 5 children live in homes that do not have enough food or run out of food by the end of each week. The challenges that Māori and Pasifika communities face are rooted in historical, socio-economic, and systemic factors. These issues require discussions that acknowledge that history and provide the tools and support needed for those communities to reclaim their mana motuhake.
Q: What is the biggest challenge for Fair Food as an organisation and for you in your role?
I think that businesses have an enormous capacity to do good in the world, but I would say there’s a social responsibility where the issue intersects in some way with the product or service they offer. It’s also very easy for businesses to speak out about an issue but much more difficult to demonstrate a commensurate level of commitment to that issue over time, which is critical if you want anyone to believe you. Talk is cheap, but action can be expensive, you know?
Q:What’s a special moment you’ve experienced while working at Fair Food NZ?
In 2023 I was fortunate to be a medalist for the Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year. I joined Fair Food to contribute to my community and this acknowledgment reflected that I was on the right track. I was also a finalist for the Westfield Local Hero. While it’s nice to be recognised, it’s only possible because of the great team I have around me and my amazing parents who instilled a good work ethic, values, and morals in me.
Q: How do you work with other team members and external partners to achieve Fair Food’s mission?
Great leaders make those around them better. At Fair Food, we are a small but mighty team, but more than that, we are a whānau. We are all on the same waka here. We want to collect as much surplus food as we can so we can give it back to our community experiencing tough times. When you are passionate about your kaupapa and you know it intimately, engaging with external stakeholders and partners is easy.
Q: What kind of impact does Fair Food have on the community and how can we go about creating change?
In 2023 Fair Food redistributed approximately 657,000kgs of food. That is around 1.7 million meals sent back into our community. We are actively reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1648 tonnes a year, which equates to driving 6,583,303km. By creating meaningful relationships with our community groups we get the privilege of hearing how the gift of surplus food lifts our community and shifts the impact of climate change and food poverty towards a world where we aren’t needed anymore.
