The parliamentary petition calling for a national food strategy launched on the 1st of June and will remain open for signatures for eight weeks. The call is led by Eat New Zealand, Freedom Farms and Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa (VAWA). The organisations are seeking strong support from New Zealanders as food insecurity, and lack of a national food plan affects every New Zealander. Logos from a collective of other food producers and NGOs on the campaign website indicate significant support for the initiative.

"Our current food system isn’t delivering acceptable outcomes for New Zealanders, and it doesn’t reflect our values," says Eat NZ CEO, Angela Clifford. "Almost 20% of families with children face significant food insecurity. Contributing to this are eye-watering food prices, supply chain disruptions, and some of the highest food-related illnesses in the world. We also have the constant threat of weather-related shortages, such as January’s North Island floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. We think now is the moment to stand together and advocate for a roadmap to get us out of this untenable situation."

Producing food that New Zealanders feel proud of, that is nutritious, affordable and locally produced, will have many positive impacts on the health of our people. Food insecurity is a crucial driver of malnourishment, including being over or underweight. Malnourishment or poor access to nutritious and satisfying food impacts individuals and society, and it is often intergenerational. A big picture approach is needed to achieve a different outcome - focusing on supermarkets doesn’t change food quality, sovereignty, or purchasing behaviours, all of which impact health outcomes.

Freedom Farms’ general manager, Hilary Pearson, says, "There’s a lot of focus on supermarkets, but they are only part of our food system; regulating the duopoly will not fix all our problems. Many of our trading partners have national food strategies, whereas we are led purely by market outcomes. Our food system has no parameters reflecting our social and cultural values; without a national food strategy, this isn’t a surprise, though it is absolutely unacceptable.

We are also concerned for the future of our family-owned farms and those farming in welfare-friendly ways, which are the farming systems of the future. Many farmers aren’t getting a fair deal."

"In creating a values-based national food strategy, we need to consider all parts of our food

system, including the interconnected welfare of people, the environment and animals," says VAWA’s managing director, Helen Beattie. "Farmed animals are an important part of our food system and will continue to be in the future. We have an obligation to take care of them. We must make sure their welfare needs are met and they have a good life, at the same time as feeding our people and protecting Papatūānuku. This will mean changing farm systems - for example, de-intensifying dairy systems and doing away with crates and cages - and we will need fair and just transition that supports farmers so they continue to be successful."

There’s an urgent need to bring community, industry and government to the collective table to create a national food strategy that considers all these aspects and more. Collectively and led by the community, we can imagine a more delicious and nutritious future for New Zealanders.

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