Under modern day pretenses, food is a commodity like any other. However to me, it remains fundamentally unique in its ability to unite. Throughout history, food systems have been integral to the shaping of communities yet too often their inefficiencies can give rise to the erosion of these vital social networks, as we have seen throughout Module 1. As Rebekah Graham notes in Kai and Culture, “The absence of enough to eat impacts upon the social and symbolic significance of meals, rupturing food traditions and unsettling a sense of belonging.” [1].

Communal meals, as well as non-profit organisations such as Kiwi Harvest act as the gateway to this “sense of belonging”, where perfectly viable food ‘waste’ can be repurposed as nourishing meals for those facing food insecurity. These charities provide dignity that could not be found elsewhere – something which, to me, proves invaluable in creating inclusion in an otherwise socially exclusive environment.

Sharing food with mutual dignity and respect acts as the bedrock for positive societal growth. Rather than associating food with its transactional, economical interpretation, I think it is far more important to consider it in terms of how it can develop community engagement and involvement. Sacrificing short-term profit for the sake of bettering communities is not a loss, but an immense and invaluable long-term gain that will benefit everyone. Consequently, when considering food and food systems in the future, it’s vitally important that we ask ourselves, which do we value more – capital or community?

[1] Graham R., 2017, Cakes, community meals and charity: Responses to food insecurity, In Johnson E. (Ed.), Kai and Culture: Food stories from Aotearoa, (pp. 130-135), Christchurch, New Zealand: Freerange Press