As was reported in our July update, we have several major pieces of work currently underway:
A baseline survey of the measures and indicators currently available to assess food security in our region. Currently being undertaken by StrategEase Ltd
An analysis of the regions’ ‘foodshed’ – that is, a measure of our nutritional needs and outputs across the region. Currently being undertaken by Whirika Ltd.
At this time, both pieces of work are nearing completion and will be available for sharing and discussion by 1 November.
The proposed objective for the Kai Challenge programme is:
“To reduce the extent and risk of food insecurity in Waikato region and in doing so increase the agency of those at risk of limited access to healthy food and with less need for charity”.
The work by StrategEase Ltd focuses on households’/whanau lived experience of food insecurity as the primary starting point for considering the problem and potential responses. The baseline survey is intended to identify a series of indicators which can be tracked over time to show progress towards our goal to reduce child poverty from 1 in 6 to fewer than 1% of children by 2030, so that “Our children can thrive because none are hungry at school or cold at home. They can afford to participate in social, artistic, cultural and sporting activities.”
This information, and the insights gained, can be used to ensure that food insecurity and the underlying poverty remain part of public debate and help shape the public policy narrative. This narrative is important for deciding what is important in public policy and funded in the budgets of government and councils. The experience of more marginalised people and communities can often be omitted from this policy narrative so policies which may benefit them are ignored or downplayed.
During the COVID lockdowns an alternative narrative emerged around food and the food system. This alternative narrative focused on responses to food insecurity and advocated radical shifts in how we produce and distribute our food. Since COVID, public interest in such alternatives has waned and we have sunk back into a business-as-usual mindset where we remain reliant on an industrialised food system with its vulnerabilities and inequities. The challenge here is to maintain public interest in alternative food systems and data helps as part of alternative storytelling.
Preliminary finding from the StrategEase Ltd work shows that 9-10% of Waikato households face food insecurity at least once a year and that 10-12% of Waikato children live in these households. Five indicators are proposed to assist the WWP to create a narrative which supports and popularises the Kai Challenge. The five indicators are as follows.
The cost of healthy diet - a survey-based indicator of the weekly price a household will need to pay for a preferred shopping basket which will provide it with a healthy diet.
Food related income transfers from government - The number and value of food-related hardship grants paid to Waikato households by Ministry of Social Development.
Community based responses to food insecurity -the volumes of food parcels distributed by some food banks, the numbers of households assisted by these parcels and the value of food re-directed from the waste steam.
Income adequacy - a three-part indicator which estimates the basic living costs of various types of households, the housing need and rents faced by these household types and existing benchmark or modest incomes likely to be received by these households. These measures are used to estimate income adequacy by household type.
At-risk households - the numbers and types of Waikato households likely to be at risk of food insecurity in any one year and the numbers of children likely to be part of these households
The emerging social food network in the Waikato offers a localised community and hapu-based alternative to complete reliance on an industrialised food system. This network relies on volunteers and charity and is focused on social justice, reciprocity and sustainability. As a network it is fragile and incomplete. The work by StrategEase Ltd proposes that strategic leadership is required to ensure that it reaches its potential and in doing so more adequately addresses the food insecurity currently being experienced by too many Waikato households.
Once the final report is completed, it will be made available on our website and social media channels. We are planning to hold a series of webinars and public meetings to further discuss the results of this work, along with the Foodshed analysis once that is also complete.
