Ronni Kahn

Ronni Kahn

Kahn at the 2012 Australia Day ceremony in Wagga Wagga
Born South Africa
Nationality Australian / South African / Israeli
Occupation Social entrepreneur
Known for Founder of the Australian food rescue charity, OzHarvest

Ronni Kahn is an Australian social entrepreneur, best known for founding the food rescue charity, OzHarvest.

Biography

Born in South Africa, Kahn moved to Israel where she lived on a kibbutz for many years before emigrating to Australia with her then-husband in 1998 and started an events management business.[1] On a vacation to South Africa, she was inspired by a friend when visiting Soweto who told her that "she was responsible for electricity in Soweto". Kahn recalls that "..at that moment she realised that her life could never be the same again. And that I had to come back and do something meaningful for other people..."[2] Building on her experience in corporate hospitality, she was shocked by the waste and founded OzHarvest in 2004,[1] initially with the support of people in the restaurant and catering industries in Sydney.

It was important to Kahn to lobby for changes to civil liability and health legislation which prevented food donors from supplying excess food. The legislation was changed in four Australian states starting in NSW in 2005.[3]

Kahn was the 2010 winner of the Australian Local Hero Award[4] in recognition of her work founding OzHarvest, a non-denominational charity that rescues excess food which would otherwise be discarded and distributes the food to charities supporting the vulnerable in Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide and Brisbane.[5]

Food delivery from OzHarvest to St James' Church, Sydney to support its Sister Freda mission to disadvantaged people

Kahn was behind the creation of the NEST[6] program – Nutrition, Education & Sustenance Training which aims to educate vulnerable Australians about nutrition and healthy eating, providing valuable life skills to disadvantaged and marginalised communities.

In her advocacy, Kahn highlights the broader global issues affecting food waste. In 2014 OzHarvest for the second year partnered with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on the Think.Eat.Save Campaign.In December 2014 Ronni travelled to attend the Sustainable Innovation Forum in Lima, Peru as part of the Think Eat Save campaign - held at the margins of the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference. The event serves to remind delegates of the level that food waste contributes to dangerous greenhouse gasses which affect climate change and the amount of resources squandered on field of crops that may never be consumed.

Awards

Ronni Kahn has been acknowledged as a leader in the fields of entrepreneurship, social impact and innovation. Her contributions have been widely recognised through numerous awards including:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Australia Day 2012". Wagga Wagga City Council. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Ronni Kahn" (streaming video). The Enriched List. 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  3. ↑ NSW Civil Liability Act 2002 - Sect 58C
  4. ↑ "Ronni Kahn 2010 Local Hero Award". National Australian Day Council. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  5. ↑ "Rich harvest: Ronni Kahn, Founder of OzHarvest". Women in Focus. Commonwealth Bank. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  6. ↑ http://www.ozharvest.org/what-we-do/nest-nutrition-education/
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