The Green Party’s plan to support community gardens and composting would help promote a stronger understanding of sustainable ecosystems and food production in places like Nelson.

“One of our priorities in the next Government is to support community food production. This will help to ensure more people in places like Nelson have access to locally-grown, affordable and healthy food,” Co-leader of the Green Party, James Shaw said.

Shaw was in Nelson on Saturday to highlight the benefits of community food production.

“From providing fresh food for the community to regenerating previously unused spaces, urban food growing can play a really important role in supporting communities to be more climate-friendly. Better access to locally grown, fresh food options can also improve the health and wellbeing of local people, which in turn can benefit communities.

“Nelson is at the forefront of efforts to increase food resiliency and support community food production. There are lots of great projects around the region that are improving access to food and bringing people together to learn about how it is grown. Everyone involved in this work is playing a hugely important role in changing the future of food in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“As part of the next Government the Greens want to strengthen this work, as well as support new projects to get underway,” James Shaw said.

The Green Party launched its Farming for the Future plan last week, which includes a commitment to support community food production. The plan also includes a $297m fund to support farmers and growers to transition to climate-friendly practices, and $10m a year to support local projects like community gardens.

“Regenerative agriculture is good for people, good for nature, and good for the climate. We want to support farmers in places like Nelson make the transition to sustainable regenerative practices with a $297m fund. This could transform the way we currently produce and consume food, helping to build healthier and more environmentally-friendly food systems.

The Green Party supports regions to develop their own community-led initiatives that uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“Nelson is one of my favourite places to visit. Every time I come, I am always impressed by the how well the community is working together with council leaders, iwi, and business to address the biggest long-term issues the region faces. I saw that firsthand earlier this year when I helped launch the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum.

“I now understand that a Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy is being convened by Wakatū Incorporation in partnership with all three local councils; the business community; NMIT; and whānau, hapū, and iwi across the Marlborough, Nelson, and Tasman region. This is exactly the kind of approach the Green Party would like to encourage - it's strategic, it’s intergenerational and it recognises the interconnectedness of our people, the environment and local communities. I look forward to supporting this kind of work as part of the next Government,” James Shaw said.

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