Members of the community are being encouraged to donate their surplus fruit and vegetables for the Wānaka Harvest Long Lunch or buy a ticket and attend.

Taking place on March 26, the lunch is part of Local Food Month and a collaboration between Wao Aotearoa, KiwiHarvest, Grow Wānaka, and Love Food Hate Waste.

New Zealand sends over 103,000 tonnes of food to landfills each year. 

Around 60 percent of that wasted food is edible, and Arna says this highlights the urgent need to reduce food waste and improve energy consumption.

At the event organisers will share food waste reduction tips and tricks with lunch-goers, who will also be treated to a three-course meal made with donated ingredients, a silent auction, and a harvest gift swap.

"It's also an afternoon of fun," Wao co-founder Arna Craig said. 

“Gather a group of friends and get behind these organisations, while also getting inspired by food.”

Tickets for the event are available for $55 here.

Anyone with surplus produce they can donate should visit the Wao website to let the team know what they have.

Arna said organisers are hoping to receive pumpkins, purple and orange carrots, cauliflower, watercress and leafy greens, potatoes and stone fruits, as well as nuts and breads.

All proceeds from the Wānaka Harvest Long Lunch will go to KiwiHarvest, Food for Love, Grow Wānaka, and Wao Aotearoa.

PHOTO: Supplied