In this member spotlight, we talk to Carmen Doran, Executive Director at Kai Commitment. With a curious mindset and a strong commitment to balance, Carmen is helping shape how Aotearoa tackles food waste and is exploring new opportunities for system-level change.
Kai Commitment is a national voluntary agreement bringing together businesses from across Aotearoa New Zealand’s food system to reduce food waste. The programme supports organisations to measure their food waste, implement practical reduction strategies, and share learning across the sector. Businesses involved include Goodman Fielder, Fonterra, Foodstuffs, George Weston Foods, Nestlé, Mars, AS Wilcox, and Woolworths New Zealand. Now three years into the programme, participating businesses are seeing sustained progress, including significant reductions in food waste to landfill, lower emissions, and more surplus food redistributed to those who need it.
Why did you want to join WasteMINZ?
Kai Commitment is excited to be working with WasteMINZ to connect with the wider waste and resource recovery sector and contribute to collective efforts to reduce waste and emissions in Aotearoa. As a programme focused on helping businesses measure and reduce food waste across the food system, working with WasteMINZ provides an opportunity to share insights, learn from others working on organics and resource recovery, and support the development of practical solutions that reduce food waste and keep valuable resources in use.
What topic/issue are you most passionate about when it comes to waste, resource recovery or contaminated land?
My background in Lean Six Sigma shaped how I think about waste - it’s usually a signal that something in the system isn’t working as well as it could. That perspective led me to food waste, which is one of the clearest examples of system inefficiency across the food supply chain.
I’m particularly interested in how measurement, transparency and collaboration between businesses and partners can unlock practical solutions that reduce waste, lower emissionsand create value from resources that would otherwise be lost.
What are you reading or listening to right now?
At the moment I’m listening to a mix of podcasts on sustainability and leadership. I’mfascinated by how complex systems change happens - especially when competitors collaborate in pre-competitive ways to solve shared challenges.
I also enjoy dipping into ideas from competitive sports psychology, particularly around mindset, nutrition and teamwork.
I’m naturally curious, so I tend to bounce between articles, biographies and podcasts - often looking at how lessons from one field or geography can apply somewhere completely different.
Describe your perfect day outside of work
A perfect day outside of work is on a mountain bike with my family - getting plenty of fresh air, exploring new trails, and having fun together. I love the mix of adventure and challenge, especially pushing my own boundaries and encouraging the kids to push theirs too. Mountain biking is a great reminder that progress comes from trying things that feel a little uncomfortable at first - and celebrating the wins (and spills) along the way.
