CMC Markets NZ, KiwiHarvest team up to help struggling Kiwis

CMC Markets has entered a three-year partnership with KiwiHarvest to support its mission of addressing Aotearoa's pressing hunger and food waste crises.

CMC Markets is a leading online trading platform, and KiwiHarvest is New Zealand's largest food rescue charity.

CMC Markets supports a range of purpose-driven initiatives such as Variety - The Children's Charity here in Aotearoa and Learning Links in Australia.

This partnership will see CMC provide $10,000 a year to support KiwiHarvest's mission to prevent edible food from going to landfill and addressing the rapidly growing need for food in vulnerable communities, a trend that grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to get worse as the world grapples with the cost of living crisis.

Many Kiwis are struggling to put food on the table, and the figure is only continuing to rise.

CMC says it is proud to be furthering its corporate social responsibility goals through its support for organisations that are making a difference.

"KiwiHarvest has been doing amazing work at times when many families are feeling more vulnerable to the socio-economic barriers in modern life, not to mention those impacted by the recent floods and Cyclone Gabrielle," says Chris Smith, General Manager, CMC Markets NZ.

"CMC has always supported community initiatives, and with the recent Food Price Index reaching record highs, food security cannot be ignored right now.

"It was a no-brainer to partner with KiwiHarvest, especially after we saw how much of an impact they had in the cyclone relief efforts by rescuing and cleaning food so that it could feed those who were displaced."

CMC's Auckland team celebrated the new partnership by volunteering at the KiwiHarvest warehouse, where they sorted and packed rescued food such as kumara, pear, capsicum and other fresh produce.

In addition, the Auckland team participated in an educational workshop hosted by KiwiHarvest to learn more about the charity's story and how they could reduce their own food waste, both in the office and at home.

"I really enjoyed spending a day in the KiwiHarvest warehouse learning and working with them first-hand. It felt so meaningful to learn practical tips to reduce unnecessary waste and I hope the team felt empowered to put them into action," Smith adds.

Angela Calver, Chief Executive at KiwiHarvest, says the charity is grateful for CMC's contribution and excited about what the future holds.

"We are so delighted to forge this new partnership with CMC Markets, and we look forward to working together to strive towards food security for all Kiwis," Calver says.

"These kinds of corporate relationships are vital to our continued existence and will help us expand many areas of our operations – from sorting deliveries in the warehouse to collecting and delivering kai throughout the entire country.

"They enable us to do the hard mahi of getting food to those who need it most."