This Vote for Kai scorecard is the culmination of months of webinars, in-person forums, research and relentless question asking. Ultimately, we’re asking for political courage on food this election - not just vote-catching headlines, but a genuine commitment to move beyond short-term fixes and towards a food system where there is truly enough for all.
Vote for Kai this election.
The scorecard is a snapshot of known policy at time of release.
UPDATE 30th October 2026:
a) Labour have released their manifesto overnight which states they will ‘fund food banks for the next three years, while developing a sustainable long-term plan’. This means their ‘unknown’ answer should be considered ‘yes’.
b) National have included food rescue in their base-line funding, however we can’t find any specific policies that state they will continue to support. Therefore they should be considered ’some’ instead of ’no’.
Notes for ‘Some’ answers:
(1) National says a National Food Strategy could be considered if it helps improve productivity and export growth, while avoiding unnecessary regulation and costs.
(2) Opportunity has a broad policy position to invest in devolution of services where they demonstrate the best outcomes for people and the environment. They believe that in many cases, community-led food security will meet that criteria.
(3) Te Pati Māori is promising an “Income Tax Kai Credit” for people earning $60,000 or less, valued at up to eight weeks of kai a year.
(4) Labour have not announced any specific farmed animal welfare policies, but are on the record saying they will reverse National’s farrowing crate legislation; as well Labour indicate support for preventing octopus farming. They have made general statements about animal welfare being important but provide no substantive policy ideas about how to actually improve animals’ lives, rather they merely support improvement.
(5) Labour wants to grow more of the value of our food here, rather than sending it offshore. They will explore ways to keep more food production and processing in New Zealand. They want to strengthen our domestic food supply and resilience to global shocks.
(6) NZ First will ensure clear labelling of genetically modified (GM) and country-of-origin food products.
(7) Opportunity will fund small business budgeting services, speed up access to the R&D tax credit and ensure ACC and the retail payment system are fair. They will create a new legal structure, the Impact Company, to recognise and encourage investment in businesses that generate profit while doing social and environmental good.
