Systems Approaches

Foundation North has a long-standing commitment to supporting crisis responses to food insecurity. Food insecurity is a persistent lack of access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food that can cause physical and mental distress. Our first grant to a food bank was in 1991, and in 1993 to a Te Tai Tokerau food bank. More recently, we distributed over $7.5 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with much of the funding providing food to whānau experiencing hardship. Food insecurity had been increasing prior to the COVID pandemic, with a 2019 report from the Auckland City Mission estimating 10% of the population was food insecure in 2019, up from 7.3% in 2009.

There is enough food in Aotearoa that no one should ever go hungry. However, current systems and practices of food production and distribution do not prioritise feeding everyone. To achieve food security and our vision of Increased Equity for those in Tāmaki and Tai Tokerau, systemic changes are necessary. We advocate for affordable, nutritious food, and for central government to address the prioritisation of commercial interests in the food system over community well-being.

Foundation North also recognise the importance of local food systems, offering timely and systemic change for communities. These systems offer coordinated approaches to activities such as community gardens, local food production, shorter supply chains, reducing waste, food hubs, regenerative agriculture, and more. For Māori, kai systems are one part of reciprocal relationships with the whenua (land) and moana (ocean) that support well-being. We continue to support these initiatives and prioritise Māori and Pacific led approaches to food sovereignty and security as an issue of equity under our Hāpai te Ōritetanga | Increased Equity strategic focus area.

• Food Sovereignty and Equitable Food Systems (Centre for Social Impact, April 2023)