Welcome to our January 2022 Pānui
Heria te taura tangata.
Weave the people.
Ngā mihi o te tau hou pākehā. As the new year dawns we stop to reflect, contemplate, and to think about the way ahead. We take this time to tally the lessons learnt and to think about how we can apply them to new, collaborative and innovative beginnings.
In our mahi we regularly do that connecting through kai - through striving for outcomes beyond ourselves where whānau are integral agents in working collectively with us towards food sovereignty.
For Kore Hiakai, this is a moment to begin the year with the essence of kotahitanga – a bringing together of all the threads and people in the food sovereignty space, so that we may continue to journey together towards sharing and managing our kai resources better, and rebalancing the inequities of our food system.
Re-emerging from an incredibly challenging few years, having arrived to nearly our third year of navigating the COVID pandemic, we return with appreciation at your ongoing participation to traverse sustainable solutions, and we thank you for remaining present and committed to this kaupapa.
Nga mihi ki te Tau Hou - Welcome to 2022.
Community Champions
Society of St Vincent de Paul Foodbank, Auckland
Pātaka Kai Open Street Pantries
Life Community Kitchens, Auckland
Wesley Community Action
Gizzy Kai Rescue
Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae, Manukau
Kiwi Harvest
Papakura Marae
Ministries for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Food Systems Dialogues initiative including the OECD connection
Ian Proudfoot from KPMG New Zealand
Mana Kai initiative - The Aotearoa Circle
Kelvin Moffatt MSD
We are incredibly grateful for the thought-leader, Kelvin Moffatt, for his role as the General Manager National Contracts at the Ministry of Social Development in Wellington + Team Leader of the Food Secure Communities team. Kelvin has been an influential champion and catalyst of movement with Senior Leaders and Ministers within the food security space, and has given extensive support in addressing the drivers and undertones of food insecurity at government and decision-making levels.
Kore Haikai are thankful for this impact, for Kelvin’s service to the sector, and we offer best wishes for a peaceful retirement.
We warmly welcome Kelvin’s successor, Serena Curtis, onboard this important kaupapa.
So much of what we do all year round is to come together to honour, respect and uphold food sovereignty for all. We begin this new year by shining light on some of the food security space, on the stories and whānau we journey with, and on the community food distributors and other champions who participate in food sovereignty.
We are aware at least 20% of our population experience food related poverty.
By the end of 2021 many organisations throughout Aotearoa experienced record high food distribution support. Christmas 2021 was about twice the Christmas 2020 period, which was already about twice the level from the previous year. Because the COVID pandemic has severely highlighted the deprivation caused by systemic inequities, now is the time for us to move beyond a crisis response mode and to address the actual root causes.
In the wake of all of this, there are incredible people doing incredible things to hold each other up and to bring hope and aroha into our communities. We acknowledge all who continue to shine the light on food insecurity, who make a difference knowing community led solutions are crucial in this space to enact the common vision of a food secure Aotearoa for all.
While there are many organisations and individuals who contribute in meaningful and collaborative ways, Kore Hiakai pay homage to a few who put the wellbeing of people at the centre of our allied work. We thank you for your contribution and for your unity through the struggles.
He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata
Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective are excited to be expanding and we are about to advertise a couple of exciting new opportunities:
Kaihohonga Hapori Kai Whānui – Community Food Networker
Kairangahau – Policy Analyst on the Food Security Measures project.
Each of these positions are fixed term contracts (tied to our funding streams) and are amazing opportunities to continue our mahi of being ‘A Food Secure Aotearoa’.
We will share links to advertising soon, or you can register your interest with our Pou Ārahi: korehiakai@nzccss.org.nz
Mana to Mana Workshops
We will shortly recommence our Mana to Mana Practice workshops across Aotearoa. If you are interested in how this resource can be embedded into your practice model then please come and explore with us! Watch this space or keep an eye out for updates on our Facebook page for dates and locations.
For workshop inquires please email: kore.hiakai@nzccss.org.nz
Mana kai initiative
The Mana Kai Initiative continues to reach out to build a broad understanding of our kai system. Some of you have participated in online dialogue. Thank you. Your insight and wisdom is deeply appreciated. If you wish to add your voice, and the voice of those you work alongside, please use one of the two surveys below:
From these and the wider dialogue insights, the Mana Kai Initiative will be putting together a ‘Road Map’ for our food system to be accessible for all to thrive and inviting Aotearoa to participate in implementing their part in the journey:
Fairer Future Christmas Campaign
The Fairer Future Campaign released a message of solidarity to whānau who experience low wages and inadequate benefit rates. It is not too late to watch and share this video to show your support for liveable incomes for all. You might also like to check out the report Kore Hiakai released back in October on Income Adequacy in Aotearoa: Ka Mākona.
Just Kai Webinar #4: An introduction to the Aotearoa Standard Food Parcel Measure
This webinar was an introduction to the Aotearoa Standard Food Parcel Measure. Launched in July 2021, the food parcel measure offers a standardised way to quantity Food Parcels being distributed in our communities. It has been proposed as a sector measuring tool which offers a standard ‘unit’ to quantify the number of [standard] Food Parcels distributed by Foodbanks and community food distributors. This measure includes a nutritional frame.
Watch the live recording here: Webinar #4 .
Guideline Updates
As all of Aotearoa moved to the COVID-19 Protection Framework during December 2021, also known as the traffic light system, we were especially happy for those in Tamaki Makaurau to have been given additional freedoms as they ended over 100 excruciating days of lockdown last year. We still see you. We still feel for you.
Just a quick reminder whatever policy your organisation decides on for vaccinations and vaccination certificates, you will still need to maintain robust health and safety regimes – especially food safety. If you haven’t already, please refer to the revised Traffic Light System Guidelines for foodbanks and community food distributors here.
The complexities of determining what’s right for the varying community food distribution and shared kai services is enormous. The MSD Food Secure Communities team have been actively working on additional updated frameworks and guidance for all this new year, and have released the following Food Providers Guidance Overview.
Systems that uplift our communities remain our common aspiration. Doing good means balancing profit and purpose. In our space it means feeding our communities, collectively addressing the undertones that create food insecurity, and influencing systemic change so that all will have enough.
As more people in our communities indiscriminately face limitations which lead to food insecurity, we continue to be grateful for your ongoing collaborations and commitment to help create opportunities so others thrive.
Mai te Whai-ao, ki te Ao mārama.
We look forward to reconnecting with you all this new year with revitalised breath, energy, into the dawn and shining light.
Nga mihi nui,
The Kore Hiakai Team