Open Letter
We’re Food Producing Champions.
We should be able to feed our own people.
An Open Letter to All Political Parties in Aotearoa New Zealand
From organisations and people who believe that no matter who you are or where you are from, everyone across Aotearoa New Zealand deserves the right to have access to nutritious food, which reflects our preferences and gives us agency in the design of the system that creates and distributes it.
We are known for agricultural exports and food production. No one should be going hungry, yet 1 in 3 of us can’t afford to put food on the table every day.
We’re Food Producing Champions.
We Should Be Able to Feed Our Own People.
Too many children go to school hungry.
Too many people are skipping meals because the money runs out before the week does.
Too many of us are making tough choices between nutritious food, rent, power, health care, fuel and other essentials.
As a nation, we’ve never been short of ingenuity when something needs fixing. Our food system needs redesigning, and we all need to work together to find the solutions. We need a commitment to a long term plan to deal with the underlying causes of food insecurity, rather than just muddling along with an increasing amount of hungry families needing foodbanks.
We are everyday people: iwi, hapū, whānau members, mums and dads, aunties and uncles, farmers, fishers and food producers, health workers, community groups, educators, businesses, organisations, and eaters from right across the motu.
We collectively agree food is not getting the serious political attention it deserves, and know that needs to change. We can do better.
We are calling on all political parties to make a genuine commitment to a food system that works for everyone. We want to see this before the election so we can support those with the best solutions.
Specifically, we want to see:
A long-term plan.
Affordable, healthy kai for everyone.
Farming, fishing and food that looks after animals, the land and ocean.
A fair go for local producers, manufacturers and food businesses.
Good food environments for our tamariki / children.
A food system grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Communities having a decision-making role in their kai / food system.
Celebration and protection of our food cultures.
We believe Aotearoa New Zealand can become a place where everyone has access to good food, where local kai systems thrive, food producers are valued, communities are resourced and exports are a vital part of our economy.
We’re not asking political parties to agree on everything but access to kai is fundamental.
So to every political party wanting our vote this election: tell us what you’ll do for food.
Because we’re voting for kai.
To add your name or organisation to this open letter visit it here.
Find more details on our call here.