Welcome to our August 2022 Pānui
Mā te whiritahi, ka whakatutuki ai ngā pūmanawa ā tāngata
Together weaving the realisation of potential.
They say coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. The strength of any collective is its individual members, and the strength of each member is the collective. Together WE weave the realisation of our country’s potential because we are more powerful when we empower each other.
While it’s not easy fostering change at a systemic level, we do what we do for community. Creating a food secure Aotearoa with bountiful landscapes is the future Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective are hungry for, and what drives our mahi to address the systemic root causes of food-related poverty.
champion blog - what is food security?
At the heart of any community in Aotearoa you will find a strong sense of hospitality and compassion – manaakitanga and arohatanga. When mishaps happen with our neighbours we tend to reach out and offer what we have to uphold them during their time of need. We might make a meal or soup; drop in kai or share from our gardens; or sometimes donate to a foodbank. This has always been evident in our nationwide DNA and collective sense of identity, and it was especially evident through our responses to COVID 19… Read more here.
congratulations!
Nga mihi to Angela Clifford for winning the 2022 Arable Food Champion Award, alongside others recognised for their diversity, entrepreneurship and commitment to quality at the New Zealand Arable Awards!
“Clifford formed the organisation EatNZ, and through this she promotes NZ-grown or -produced food. She set up the EatNZ grain food hui, where NZ grain growers have been able to talk about the grain-based food products they produce and showcase them in front of an audience of chefs and food critics…” read more here and to see the full list of winners.
Also, congratulations to Te Tāpui Atawhai Auckland City Mission for its HomeGround housing building winning the top Property Council award for excellence and being acknowledged as the first single-site supportive housing for people needing accommodation, food and low-cost medical services. Incredible mahi! Check out this article and the Manutaki of Auckland City Mission (also our Kore Hiakai co-chair), Helen Robinson, looking stunning in her ball dress!
university of otago study
While we are in the process of finalising a revised version of Ka Makona – income adequacy in Aotearoa, a recently released Otago university study has found single mothers are especially struggling to feed their children.
“New research has revealed the ‘shameful’ extent of child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand...” Read more here or check out this news hub article.
afra food safety guide
AFRA has released their Food Safety Guide, developed to provide clear and useful best practice advice to all people working in the food rescue sector – from donors, to drivers and volunteers.
food summit event
There is a virtual food summit being hosted by Spira this week on the 17th August.
Walk the Talk: Telling the true story of food with Emily King, is a free, online summit unpacking how we can communicate better in our food system. Find out more and how to register here.
think links
This month: food security
We have been finding some interesting insights from Te Puna Whakaaronui, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Primary Sector Think Tank, providing insights to support the transformation of the primary sector. Te Puna Whakaaronui has released two reports this year on the Global Food System and its likely impacts – in April and July.
The July report notes food shortages, high food and energy prices, and tough financial conditions will increasingly impact on the ability of low and middle-income economies to cope.
We tautoko their conclusion in the April report to empower communities to produce and distribute food at a low cost, with a culturally inclusive approach to food security, by providing food resources and teaching communities how to produce and prepare food, maintain balanced diets and reduce waste. This includes locally driven community-based models that empower groups and individuals to implement practical solutions to feed families and make a real difference.
They also have another great report on ‘Food insecurity and the community aspect of food’ that discusses some of the amazing mahi being done by community food organisations in South Auckland to alleviate food insecurity and/or build community food resilience.
dig deeper
All around the world there are long held practices and traditions that ensure the sustainable harvesting and production of kai so that we feed our souls, our relationships, as well as our bellies. With this new section in our pānui, we hope to draw from a variety of people and places to help us understand how to be connected to whenua, maramataka, and kai in ways that encourage food security.
Sustainable gardening techniques are important for providing nutritious and safe food for you and your whānau without harming the environment. The intent is to practice gardening methods that meet our present needs without compromising future generations growing their own food. To help you on your growing journey, our pānui this month offers some tips for August and September in the māra/garden.
We can usually expect August to be calmer after a cold and wet July but before the winds of spring. Whatever the weather is doing in your rohe, now is the time to be feeding and protecting your soil in preparation for spring planting.
Begin by aerating the soil on a dry day using a garden fork – sliding it into the soil and pulling it back towards you. Spread compost on top, and then sow some green crops. At this time of year, mustard is good to clean your soil in preparation for tomatoes or potatoes; beautiful lacey phacelia will bring flowers and bees over spring; and lupins planted now will be ready to dig into the soil just before they flower in spring, adding vital nitrogen to your soil.
Read more about preparing for spring with Kath Irvine’s amazing Edible Backyard blog.
The United Nations has set ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #2 of its 17 SDGs for the year 2030. The complexities of enabling enough good food for our national population gives urgent meaning as to why food security is such a priority for us all.
To achieve food security in Aotearoa and meet these global objectives means we must address the root causes of food insecurity, whilst building a food system not entirely driven by profit – but with people in mind so that all in Aotearoa can be food secure. The call is to do that together!
Ngā mihi maioha, The Kore Hiakai team