Ronni Kahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronni Kahn
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Kahn at the 2012 Australia Day ceremony in Wagga Wagga
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| Born |
Ronni Hellmann
1952 |
| Nationality | South Africa Israel Australia |
| Occupation | Social entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of OzHarvest |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
Ronni Kahn (born in 1952) is a social entrepreneur from Australia. She is famous for starting OzHarvest, a charity that saves food. Ronni was born in South Africa.
She moved to Australia from Israel in 1998. In 2010, she won the Local Hero Award. This award is part of the Australian of the Year awards. In 2019, she received a special honor. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
By 2024, her organization had given out over 250 million meals in Australia. In 2019, Ronni also started a similar group. It is called SA Harvest and helps people in her home country, South Africa.
Contents
Ronni Kahn's Early Life
Ronni Kahn was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her parents were Jewish. Her father was an architect. She went to King David School, a private Jewish school.
When she was young, she lived next to an activist named Jules Browde. He and his wife, Selma, inspired Ronni. They became lifelong friends. Ronni met her first husband in a youth group called Habonim Dror.
In 1970, Ronni won a scholarship. This allowed her to study in Israel. She earned a degree in Fine Arts and English. She studied at the University of Haifa. She lived on a kibbutz, which is a community farm. Her husband later joined her there.
Ronni Kahn's Career Journey
Ronni Kahn moved to Australia in 1998. She started a business that planned events.
How OzHarvest Started
Ronni went on a trip to South Africa. A friend there had helped bring electricity to a town called Soweto. This made Ronni want to do something important. She wanted to help other people.
From her event planning work, she saw a lot of food waste. She was surprised by how much food was thrown away. At first, she didn't know that food waste harms the environment.
OzHarvest: Saving Food
Ronni Kahn started OzHarvest in 2004. She got help from people in the restaurant business in Sydney. OzHarvest is a charity that saves extra food. This food would otherwise be thrown away. The charity then gives it to other charities. These groups help people in need across Australia.
At first, laws made it hard for businesses to donate food. Ronni worked to change these laws. She helped change civil liability and health laws. These changes made it easier for food donors to give away extra food. The laws changed in four Australian states. The first change was in New South Wales in 2005.
Ronni says OzHarvest delivers many meals each year. She states they deliver "the equivalent of 25 million meals a year". These are meals that would have been wasted.
Ronni also helped create the Nest program. Nest stands for Nutrition, Education & Sustenance Training. This program teaches people about healthy eating. It helps people in need learn important life skills.
Ronni speaks out about bigger issues of food waste. She talks about how it affects the world. In 2017, OzHarvest worked with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). They worked together on the "Think.Eat.Save" campaign. This campaign helps people understand food waste.
In 2014, Ronni went to a meeting in Lima, Peru. It was about climate change. She reminded everyone that food waste creates harmful gases. These gases contribute to climate change. Wasting food also wastes many resources.
In 2018, Ronni wanted to open a special restaurant in Sydney. It would be called a refettorio. She worked with an Italian chef, Massimo Bottura. He creates non-profit restaurants. These restaurants fight food waste and help people. OzHarvest would manage the restaurant. They would get volunteers and supply rescued food. They would also work with groups that help people in need. In 2020, the location was announced. It is at 481 Crown Street, Sydney.
A documentary film about Ronni was released in 2018. It is called Food Fighter. The film shows Ronni's efforts to reduce food waste. It follows her work in Australia, the UK, South Africa, and Thailand.
Since 2019, Ronni has also worked with SA Harvest. This is like OzHarvest but in South Africa. Ronni is on its board. Her childhood friend, Alan Bowde, is the CEO. By 2023, SA Harvest had given over 50 million meals in South Africa.
In 2022, OzHarvest reached a big goal. They served their 50 millionth donated meal. That same year, Ronni spoke at the National Press Club of Australia.
In October 2024, Queen Camilla visited OzHarvest's restaurant. It is in Surry Hills. Ronni gave the Queen a small silver brooch.
In November 2024, Marie Claire (Australia) nominated her. She was nominated for the "Icon of the Year" award. Other nominees included Nicole Kidman and Emma McKeon.
Other Activities
Ronni lived in Israel for 18 years. She supports the Australian branch of the New Israel Fund. In 2012, she became one of its first patrons. In February 2024, Ronni spoke at a discussion. She talked about challenges during a conflict in the region. She spoke about her personal safety and condemned the violence.
Ronni Kahn's Personal Life
Ronni married her first husband, Des Kahn, in 1972. They married on a kibbutz in Israel. They had two sons, Nadav (born 1974) and Ido (born 1978). Des served in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Ronni was pregnant with Nadav at that time. Ronni and Des divorced in 1999.
In 2005, she married Irving Wallach. He is a lawyer from Sydney.
In 2023, Ronni was visiting family in Israel. She was there during a conflict. She spoke out against the attacks. She said, "No political situation can justify this slaughter and torture and terrorism."
Ronni Kahn's Memoir
Ronni Kahn wrote a book about her life. It is called A Repurposed Life. The book was released in 2020.
Awards and Recognition
Ronni Kahn is known as a leader. She is recognized for her work in social impact and new ideas. She has received many awards, including:
- 2010 Australia's Local Hero, Australian of the Year Awards. This was for starting OzHarvest.
- 2011 InStyle Woman of Style Award - Community /Charity category.
- 2012 Veuve Clicquot Award Business Woman Tribute Award. This was for her innovation and community work.
- 2012 Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year.
- 2017 BOSS magazine Top 21 True Leaders.
- 2017 Gourmet Traveller Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality.
- 2017 Griffith University Doctor of the University (honoris causa).
- 2018 The Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence award. This was for her work in social enterprise.
- 2019 Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This was for her service to social welfare.
See also
- List of Australian Local Hero Award recipients
- Waste management in Australia
