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Systems Approaches

On these pages we share Foundation North’s responses to, and efforts to address, some of Aotearoa’s systemic issues.

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Foundation North has a long-standing commitment to supporting crisis responses to food insecurity. Food insecurity is a persistent lack of access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food that can cause physical and mental distress. Our first grant to a food bank was in 1991, and in 1993 to a Te Tai Tokerau food bank. More recently, we distributed over $7.5 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with much of the funding providing food to whānau experiencing hardship. Food insecurity had been increasing prior to the COVID pandemic, with a 2019 report from the Auckland City Mission estimating 10% of the population was food insecure in 2019, up from 7.3% in 2009.

There is enough food in Aotearoa that no one should ever go hungry. However, current systems and practices of food production and distribution do not prioritise feeding everyone. To achieve food security and our vision of Increased Equity for those in Tāmaki and Tai Tokerau, systemic changes are necessary. We advocate for affordable, nutritious food, and for central government to address the prioritisation of commercial interests in the food system over community well-being.

Foundation North also recognise the importance of local food systems, offering timely and systemic change for communities. These systems offer coordinated approaches to activities such as community gardens, local food production, shorter supply chains, reducing waste, food hubs, regenerative agriculture, and more. For Māori, kai systems are one part of reciprocal relationships with the whenua (land) and moana (ocean) that support well-being. We continue to support these initiatives and prioritise Māori and Pacific led approaches to food sovereignty and security as an issue of equity under our Hāpai te Ōritetanga | Increased Equity strategic focus area.

Stories

Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae and Te Pu a Nga Maara

For the past 33 years, Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae has offered a support system and ‘beacon of light’ to the Māngere community.

Ōtara Kai Village

The Community Builders NZ Trust has been strengthening the resilience of the Ōtara community for the last three years. Read more here.

Oke Charity

Foundation North’s impact funding has contributed towards a digital garden-growing app aimed at introducing productive gardens into schools. Find out more here.

He Tangata: People are the key

Kelly Francis aka Whenua Warrior, and Tuputau Lelaulu of Mau Studio join Manawa for the first episode of Ka Tū Maia.