A new report is highlighting a broken food system where Southlanders live in one of the most fertile regions in the world yet struggle to put food on the table.
Feeding Murihiku: Our Good Food Road Map is a comprehensive two-year study of the Southland province’s local food system by the Murihiku Kai Collective, which outlines the challenges and opportunities in strengthening food security and food resilience in Southland.
It is hoped the report will help to enable all Southlanders to put food on the table.
The report brings together insights from local families, community groups, councils and businesses and how to improve food security and supply.
The report was officially launched in Invercargill on Tuesday night.
“In a society where everyone should have the right to eat well, too many in Southland face barriers to accessing quality food," the report said.
The province’s geographic isolation, focus on exports and unbalanced local market made it more difficult for people to afford nutritious food and easier to buy unhealthy options.
Challenges identified during the research process included a lack of knowledge about Southland’s food "story’’, significant changes to land use over the years, the influence of corporations in the food system, and a lack of pathways for local leaders in the kai space.
The report said food banks were put in as an interim measure in the 1980s. They had now become a staple of many residents’ lives.
The report called on the community to collectively support policies that make nutritious food affordable, advocate for local food producers, prioritise support and resources for food creators and educators and celebrate sustainable farming practices.
Murihiku Kai Collective member Janice Lee said plenty of hard work had gone into developing a strategy.
“We have for the past three years or so been working on a regional strategy of acknowledgement, with a sustainable solution focus.
"Essentially, we have brought together a cross-section of the community including iwi, councils, parks and recreation, schools and the public and private sector.
“Through consultation, collaboration, and implementation we have condensed our mahi into this piece of work.
"We believe this is more than just a temporary solution — it is not a Band Aid, but a potential conduit for change in the food sector across our region."
Included in the report is a Good Food Road Map, modelled on a similar initiative in south Auckland, which advocates for a co-ordinated approach for lasting change.
It highlights five key factors: celebrating Southland’s unique food culture, sustainable food practices, access to nourishing and culturally appropriate food, zero hunger and a resilient food system.
