Welcome to our November 2022 Pānui
Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai.
Nurture the seed and it will bloom.
In Te Ao Māori, hauora – a holistic view of wellbeing, promotes a wide concept of total health.
Our whakatauki this month speaks of the care and continued nurturing we all need to fully realise our potential and to flourish. Kai, and all the aspects of kai, is part of that cultivation. We invite you to explore the hauora realm with us – particularly through a nutritional lens, and the impacts good kai can have on our physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.
Kore Hiakai appreciates the way those within our collective share their wisdom and resources so that we can all be enriched, well and thrive. May this November pānui nourish and enrich you, your kaimahi and mahi.
blog - the importance of nutrition
By Sophie McCarthy, Kaihononga Hapori Kai Whānui – Community Food Networker + our resident associate registered nutritionist
Did you read our latest blog? If not, “The Aotearoa Food Parcel Measure (AFPM) highlights the importance of including all food groups in our diet. This is important because each food group contains different nutrients, so eating a range of these foods will provide our bodies with all the nutrients it needs to thrive...” Read more.
think links
This month: improve our food system = improve our health.
Ngā mihi to Cristina Cleghorn and Sally Mackay for their great piece in the Public Health Expert blog on ways to improve our health through improving our food system. Ka rawe for the strength of the evidence, the brevity and comprehensiveness! Cristina and Sally recommend the following:
Reducing the cost of healthy food by –
removing GST from core foods and/or
specific subsidies on healthy food for beneficiaries and people on low incomes
Regulations to reduce sodium, saturated fat and sugar content in specific processed foods
Increasing the availability of healthy food by –
Government and Council venues and workplaces needing to abide by the Ministry of Health National Healthy Food and Drink Policy
Zoning laws to improve access to healthy food in low-income areas.
Image courtesy of the Wellington City Mission
wcm social supermarket insights
Earlier this year the Wellington City Mission (WCM) celebrated the one year opening anniversary of their social supermarket in Newtown. It has been 12 months of much celebration, collaboration and learning; with the Wellington City Mission being very generous in sharing their practice and operations insights. Kore Hiakai were given privileged access to sit and capture their wisdom so it might be accessible to others across the motu. You can explore these privy insights here (text only).
mana kai initiative
Kore Hiakai eagerly awaits the release of the Mana Kai Initiative Roadmap, offering a beautiful framework for Aotearoa New Zealand that reimagines our food system – beginning from an Ao Māori viewpoint. There are actions which others are invited to connect with to help lead us into a more inclusive, sustainable and accountable food system. We anticipate release this Field Days in Hamilton, 30 November 2022.
community champions
Christchurch City Mission: Amazing acknowledgement to one of our leadership partners for the opening of Thrive Café this month, and especially for their efforts with social enterprise, offering their community a safe and social space for growth, learning and development. “Thrive Cafe is more than just a cafe offering an affordable menu amid rising living costs. It is also a community hub where anyone can visit and know they are welcome and cared for…” Read article here.
Food Secure North Canterbury: Thank you to Satisfy Food Rescue for introducing us to some of the Food Secure North Canterbury projects. We loved the opportunity to explore and learn in the Kaiapoi Food Forest and Kaiapoi Community Garden and appreciate this network to “bring together people, knowledge and resources to feed and empower North Canterbury”.
Food2050 series: With Cop27 ending this week, after a 2-week forum that included food and agriculture as part of the event discussions for the first time, we give deep appreciation to the inspiring Food2050 series amplifying some of the world’s leading food system visionaries. From a diverse spectrum of international communities, this docuseries showcases the extraordinary efforts of 10 global visionaries looking to improve the world’s food systems from the ground up – something for Aotearoa to get inspired by!
He Whenua Rongo: Big mihi to the collective who spearheaded He Whenua Rongo research project, building Māori kai and soil resilient communities through knowledge. In case you missed it, “He Whenua Rongo is a 7 month kaupapa Māori research project that has been conducted by Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust led by Dr. Jessica Hutchings in partnership with Te Waka Kai Ora (National Māori Organics Authority) with support from AATEA Solutions, a kaupapa Māori research, facilitation and translation consultancy.” Read the summary and full report here.
Hui E! Tātou tātou podcast: We’ve come across this awesome hauora podcast to share. “YOU CAN HELP US! Please spread the word about Tātou tātou with other community leaders who might need a pick-me-up or opportunity to feel less isolated. We could all do with some inspiration as we slide into Christmas! Tātou tātou is an opportunity to take a moment to nurture and nourish your own hauora.” Check out Series 1 here.
Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae: Congratulations to the marae and kaimahi Lossy Hotene (Carlos) for being a Blake Leader 2022 award recipient – stunning acknowledgement! The marae pursues resilience and sustainability in many capacities, and Lossy has been on a personal mission to plant over 80,000 kūmara in their māra to support increasing need in their community. The gardens also produce lettuce, kale, rocket, beans, chillies and herbs, with their process around micro-greens, planting seeds, and building fertilisers. Ka pai!
Richmond Community Garden: We are impressed with Richmond Community Garden located in the Christchurch red zone by Avebury House. Such an incredibly welcoming community space and hub for innovative projects. The ever-progressing garden is a space where community can pick their own kai, learn to grow, preserve, and compost. Some upcoming projects include their fungi garden and a café opening soon. If you are in Christchurch, make sure to stop by.
The Wellington City Mission: Massive thank you to another partner organisation for sharing their insights and wisdom on social supermarkets. Earlier this year the Wellington City Mission (WCM) celebrated the one year opening anniversary of their social supermarket in Newtown. It has been 12 months of much celebration, collaboration and learning; with the Wellington City Mission being very generous in sharing their practice and operations insights. Kore Hiakai were given privileged access to sit and capture their wisdom so it might be accessible to others across the motu. You can explore these privy insights here.
msd funding
MSD has announced Puta Ora Food Security Fund is now open for online applications (closes 3pm, 8 December 2022).
Key dates: Applications open - 11 November 2022; Applications close - 3pm, 8 December 2022; Grant decisions communicated - late February 2023; Grant agreements negotiated and signed - from late February 2023; Anticipated grant start date - March 2023.
“The fund has $4 million for initiatives that increase access to healthy, affordable food in low-income communities and other communities experiencing food insecurity. This fund will also prioritise initiatives that enable Māori to exercise kai sovereignty. To apply for funding see Puta Ora Food Security Fund, applications are due 8 December 2022.”
university of auckland hvn recruitment opportunity
There is an opportunity to join the HVN (High-Value Nutrition) team at the University of Auckland: “We are looking for a senior leader to provide leadership and oversight to the High-Value Nutrition (HVN) National Science Challenge’s Vision Mātauranga strategy, policy development, aims and aspirations. This is an important role within a team that is contributing to New Zealand’s knowledge economy and growth of the food and beverage sector.” Learn more here.
seed swap
Keen to save money, collaborate to get your māra diversified, or to share what you might have an abundance of? For those in the Capital, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, there’s a seed swap coming up on 3 December in Karori as part of the reopening of the square outside of the Karori Library.
“Seed and seedling swaps are an awesome opportunity for gardeners of all skill levels to collaborate and share what they might have an abundance of. It's a great way to save money on buying new seedlings, an opportunity to learn from others, and can lead to new varietals in your māra.”
Organised by Seeds to Feeds and the Wellington City Council, there will be loads of seeds and seedlings to take home, offering a fantastic way to get your māra growing (or to start companion planting!). Learn more about this event here.
dig deeper
This month: companion planting
While you are planting your tomatoes, zucchini, kamokamo and other summer deliciousness this year, think about adding some flowers into your māra as well. As well as the general pleasing aesthetic, beneficial insects such as ladybugs, bees and hover flies will be drawn in, helping not only to pollinate your flowers and the veges nearby, but also to help control pests that might otherwise attack your veges.
For maximum pest control and pollination, Rachel Clare says we should aim for 40 per cent flowers to 60 per cent veges, and have at least four different flowers. Many of them are self-seeding, so plant them once and you will have a beautiful māra forever. Kath Irvine has lots of recommendations for which flowers and when. Good, easy options include calendula and phacelia, borage and marigolds.
sustainable development goals
sdg #2 zero hunger
This month: Aotearoa leads new global sustainable agriculture declaration
“New Zealand has agreed a declaration along with other members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that commits members to working together to boost sustainable agriculture and food systems, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today in Paris. The OECD Committee for Agriculture is an important forum where New Zealand is helping lead a vital transition to sustainable agriculture,” Damien O’Connor said. Read article here.
Food-related poverty is a health issue, as well as an economic issue and social issue. When we approach food security (and insecurity) beyond economic and social responses, embedding a health and nutrition lens, we more easily see our obligation as a country to come together, to nurture and nourish each other, so that we all blossom and thrive. Mauri ora.
Kore Hiakai Kaimahi
Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai.
Nurture the seed and it will bloom.