Our recently released report on food insecurity in the Waikato region, Want Amongst Plenty is now available online. The report and associated resources can be downloaded here. If you would like a hard copy, please get in touch.
The objective for the Waikato Kai Challenge programme is:
To reduce the extent and risk of food insecurity in the 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 key findings of the report are:
1. The food system has major imbalances
Our current food system is dominated by large-scale production, processing and a corporate retail duopoly.
The system is efficient but caters for export markets and the needs and wants of middle-class New Zealanders.
2. Systemic change is unlikely anytime soon
The prevailing political-economy is unlikely to tolerate systemic change in the foreseeable future – especially around land use rights and access to commons resources such as water.
Addressing food insecurity will (for the foreseeable future) need to continue to rely on public policy interventions, philanthropy, charity and community activism.
3. The social licence of the current food system offers a pivot to leverage beneficial change
The spectacle of ‘want amongst plenty’ challenges the food system’s social licence. Food waste within processing and retail is a major embarrassment which corporates attempt to address through measures such as food rescue.
This tension provides opportunity to argue for change although the nature and extent of any change needs to be closely considered first.
4. Community based activism is a feasible lever for this beneficial change Current community activism especially around food banks but also community gardens and food sharing, illustrates need and concern and provides the generative space for further initiatives which work toward systemic change rather than legitimizing the current system.
There is a potential role for hapū as mana whenua to be involved in local leadership as part of their manaakitanga to those living in their rohe.
Community activism appears to be somewhat localized and competitive and wider networks appear fragile and lacking in any strategic intent.
5. Appropriate data and insights assist us to re-shape the narrative around the food system
Narrative is important both for re-imagining the system and showing that change is possible.
Data is important for narrative for at least two reasons – it provides the basis for new and different insights and its collection adds to the discussion/debate which supports the narrative.
The report has proposed 5 key indicators of the Waikato food system which we will now integrate into Te Ara Poutama, to be regularly tracked and reported:
1. The cost of a 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.
2. Government Support- The number and value of food related income transfers from Government.
3. Food Charity - The number and value of community-based responses to food insecurity.
4. Income adequacy- recognising the pernicious effect that other household essentials (rent, clothing, power, transport etc) have on the ability to purchase good food; and
5. 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. To put this into perspective, Alan and Kelvin's work concluded that in the Waikato about 18,000 households are food insecure: equivalent to all the households of Taupō and Otorohanga combined.
The report recommends enhancing the social food network as a localised community-based alternative to complete reliance on an industrialised food system. As a network it is fragile and incomplete. The report concludes 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. The WWP is open minded as to how this leadership ecosystem might be further developed, and we are keen to discuss options.
From here our next steps are:
To complete a Waikato foodshed analysis- which will establish the total food production of the region (tonnage and by type) and the food requirements of the people of the Waikato. This will add to our foundational understanding of the region’s food system.
A lived experience description of food systems in the Waikato from both the household and supplier points of view. This will provide a common focal point of shared understanding across a spectrum of people in the food network from production, distribution, and consumption. This work will commence in early 2025 and is a partnership between the WWP and the MAS Foundation.
We have partnered with GoEco to jointly recruit a Kai Challenge Lead, who will take the insights we have developed and work collaboratively across central and local government, iwi, community, NGOs and funders to implement actions to reach our kai objective.
