Many of us are optimistic and hungry for an Aotearoa where everyone has dignified access to enough good food, although lately times have been tough. As COVID lockdowns continue to have an impact on food security, we have seen community resources go down, workloads go up, and uncertainty rise.

This past year has been a wake-up call for the importance of a healthy and well-fed society as we witnessed the levels of food insecurity rise through the COVID pandemic – especially impacting our northern communities around the Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato regions.

While not the cause, this pandemic has been the catalyst for opening our eyes, and widening our conversations, to the deprivation caused by systemic inequities, and how, if left unaddressed, the overspill becomes a collective responsibility that sees Foodbanks and community food distributors often pick up the slack.

As our sector calls for us to innovate and to do things differently, several have heeded that call with magnificent gusto, including 21 social service agencies collaborating as members under The Kai Collective Project - which is part of a broader piece of work called the Aotearoa Kai Journey.

The Kai Collective Project (KCP) was one of the incentive projects behind the Aotearoa Kai Journey. Rākau Tautoko and The Good Fale, two of the founding members of KCP, lead the Aotearoa Kai Journey – an initiative taking a community grounded and social impact design and innovation approach towards redesigning the food system in Aotearoa. What sits at the heart of their journey is community, culture and collaboration, so that we collectively journey to create a thriving and robust food system in Aotearoa.

“We support hundreds of households every week. For a group that’s running almost entirely on volunteers and community groups, we’re doing pretty good but we want to do more,” said Philippa Holmes, a multi-disciplinary social impact designer and co-founder of The Good Fale.

“We want to be able to bring in enough good quality food, for our community groups and leaders, to be able to support any household that needs it in Maungakiekie-Tāmaki. But we haven’t been able to yet.”

Having the capability to increase three-fold to what they are currently doing, Philippa affirms, “but we need the support and advocacy throughout our community and the food systems to be able to step up. In a country that makes enough food to feed 40 million people, we have the resources to ensure every single person can eat nutrient dense food, every single meal.”

Right now, many community food distribution groups in their support zone urgently need more resourcing and food supplies, but more imperative all of Aotearoa urgently needs food systems change. “That's why we are part of the broader work of creating a thriving food system with the Aotearoa Kai Journey. Our future vision is we don't exist because no one needs a Food Parcel.”

With the right support and collaborations, the KCP say they can be more effective for more whānau.

 Kore Hiakai are in awe of all those collaborating to bring about sustainable and meaningful change – not only with feeding our people who have immediate needs, but those also tackling the slower, systemic changes needed to improve our food system overall.

He iwi kōahi tātou – we are all one tribe.

 To learn more about The Kai Collective project or the Aotearoa Kai Journey, follow them at www.kaicollectiveproject.com or www.aotearoakaijourney.com.