By Emily King*
New Zealand's food system is far from perfect, says Emily King. Photo: 123rf
Analysis: If NZ is such a great food producer, why are so many of us going hungry, or eating lower-grade food, asks food systems expert Emily King.
An irony for our country is that we export top quality, high-earning food, yet 15-20 percent of New Zealanders are moderately to severely food insecure at any one time. In the basket of living expenses, food is the first to be cut as it's something people can (to a point) go without in order to pay their other bills like housing, transport and energy.
While it's outrageous that we produce high quality, nutrient-dense food for export and we have hungry people (and people only eating nutrient-poor food), one does not directly trigger the other. But the food system is vast and interconnected, so while the actions of one part are not necessarily causal on another, they're anchored in the same system, and that system is far from working perfectly.
We can refocus or redesign our food system so these anomalies are ironed out and the system works better for people. It's never been expressly designed, well, not by citizens or governments. It's mostly been led by global big food companies that push their products and food services (such as takeaways) into our communities. They want to make big profits, rather than ensure people are well-fed.
Food systems expert Emily King. Photo: Dafna Kaplan
While annual food prices in Aotearoa New Zealand have risen since 2021 to reach their current 36-year high affecting households nationwide, in 2022 our largest food service businesses (takeaways) generated revenue of $12.8 billion, back on their financial growth track after Covid-19.
Supermarkets too, continue to boast profits, despite food costs rising. It's another irony that food businesses are still making their shareholders good money while people can't afford to eat in our country. If we created our food system with a noble goal like feeding people healthy affordable food that's made and grown well, we would shift the system.
So then, how do we redesign our food system?
First, we better understand it. Our food system is how food is grown (farmers and growers), transported (land, sea or air), manufactured (processors and factories), sold (retailers like supermarkets and food service like cafes and restaurants), and then how it ultimately feeds people - or doesn't. All along the way there is food surplus that is lost or wasted (depending on the context). There are impacts of the system on soil, waterways, climate change, human health and the wider environment through things like packaging and energy use. It's also global, and it's complicated, linked to international logistics, trade, economics, cultures, communities and health.
Having a deeper understanding of our food system allows us to understand why problems occur within it. When we do that we see that there are many flaws and many things we need to change. There are also things outside the food system, like income inequality, that influence how parts of the system play out for people. Fortunately, there are also many great solutions and opportunities within the system as well, so we can remain hopeful.
New Zealand grows plenty of food, yet 15-20 percent of people don't have enough to eat on a regular basis. Photo: 123rf
The paradox of exporting plenty of food while having hungry people is a great example. If we instead reframe that to exporting top notch food products while also ensuring our people are well fed then these are some of the things we need to (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Work with our growers, farmers, and food makers to ensure they are supported. They're facing enormous challenges right now like the impacts of climate change on businesses and land, regulations, and rising costs of inputs.
- Get food from farmers and growers directly to consumers at an affordable price, expanding options like vegetable delivery boxes, farm stores, and supporting market gardens particularly in and around urban areas to feed city populations.
- Remove specifications and expectations around standards of produce perfection in food retail. This will remove issues of fruit and vegetables being thrown out to get the perfect specimen, allowing those foods to be eaten.
- Shift the big two supermarket operators. There is a nudge here with the Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden being appointed following Commerce Commission recommendations, but recent reports doubt those recommendations go far enough to allow new players into the market.
- Ensure our food environments are designed in a way that supports healthy food being the affordable and easy choice for people. This is our urban design and public spaces giving priority to healthy and affordable food over junk food marketed at children and poorer communities, and looking deeper into actions like programmes to feed school children.
Re-food by Emily King. Photo: Supplied
This lens also gives us perspective. We sit in a global system. Most countries in the world are grappling with this topic right now. The cost of living crisis, the impact of the war in the Ukraine on food prices, the bouncing back (or not) after Covid-19 for food businesses, the impacts of climate change on food chains - all these things affect our global food supply, which in turn affects every country right now.
We would be naive to think we're the only ones struggling with these issues and we would be laggards not to act purposefully on them.
We have the opportunity to be a world leader in this topic. What we do in New Zealand to change our food system would inspire other countries as well. We can also learn from the mistakes of others, where they've tried to apply certain strategies and they haven't worked.
We have strengths as a top food-producing nation, like a relatively low population and very favourable conditions for growing a lot of food - things we need to strategically use to our advantage. We are however geographically a long way away and we don't have the benefits bigger countries (US, Canada, Australia or those in the EU) do of bigger populations. Nor do we have subsidised practices to make certain foods cheaper like our competitors.
How do we get ahead?
We need a national roadmap for our food system. The fundamental basis of that roadmap needs to be affordable, healthy and sustainable food for people in our country. There's currently a petition in front of Parliament calling for a national food strategy, which could turn into a roadmap for change, or at the very least get that conversation started with politicians.
Once we have a roadmap and a clear understanding of where we want to head as a country on this issue (granted this will not be easy work), then we need to understand where we can influence change.
We need to be bold. We need to bring together different sectors that don't usually work together (e.g. public health and farmers; food manufacturers and councils; charities and businesses) and get their answers.
The solutions need to be easy and understandable for everyday people when it comes to price point and ultimately need to help make food accessible.
We need to act soon. Aotearoa's food system issues are already well-entrenched, and have big consequences for our society on both physical and mental health of our people, and on our environment. We can't afford to waste any time if we're serious about addressing these issues as a country.
Lastly, do not underestimate the appetite for change. There are people, organisations, and businesses nationwide working hard on this topic right now. In fact, food systems change has never been so alive as it is now.
Across the sectors that are involved, from community groups through to our farmers and growers and food businesses, and up to national organisations, we see driven and connected people confidently paving the way to change and improve our food system.
Many already have the answers and are working on them. For those not onboard, this is the most important conversation that our country has not yet had. We can't afford inaction and we can't afford to wait as our people go hungry. It's time.
* Emily King is a food systems expert, director of Spira, and author of Re-food.
