2. Initiatives such as donating non-perishables mitigate hunger, as well as social exclusion in the case of community meals, but they are not long-term solutions. How might food insecurity be tackled effectively?
To solve the problem of food insecurity in New Zealand, firstly we must re-establish our values as a country. Are we more concerned with the well-being of Kiwis or the profit gained from overpriced nutritional foods?
To tackle the issue of food insecurity, nutritional foods must decrease in price if families receiving the minimum wage are expected to live and eat healthily. Sally Mackay, University of Auckland research assistant, believes “there is a perception that healthy food costs more”.(1) She says all that is needed is time to prepare a meal. Completing Group 4’s activity demonstrated how costly it was to purchase nutritious food in large quantities unless meals had been carefully planned.
This idea is also highlighted in the passage from Kai and Culture. Rebekah Grant wrote that families in New Zealand are “finding it increasingly difficult to afford foods that meet national guidelines…” (2) Individually we may answer that Kiwi families are worth more than supermarket profit, however, collectively this is not the case as nutritious food prices continue to increase. The problem with our society’s structure is that everyone thinks the culprit is “them” (the supermarkets) even though we are all a part of society so in fact it is “us”. A high demand for nutritious foods should increase supply and thereby lower costs for everyone.
So, what is the true cost of a healthy Kiwi family? Supermarkets continue to benefit off the high cost of foods, while those with a lower income continue to struggle.We must re-evaluate society’s values to ensure more healthy Kiwi families.
1 Chloe Winter 2017. Is healthy food really more expensive than junk food?
2 Rebekah Grant 2017. Cakes, community meals and charity: Responses to for insecurity. Kai and Culture: Food stories from Aotearoa
I agree!
It’s really sad to see how many young children live in hunger, often skipping lunch, dinner or breakfast. New Zealand as a whole needs to come together and address this issue of poverty/hunger within our families! 100% agree with you in the sense that we must decide what is more important: ‘profit’ or the well-being of the people in our country. We can all try to change this issue and raise awareness, however, ultimately you are right, if we want ‘real’ change we must re-evaluate our values as a society.
It would be interesting to think about how we could go about this though. If we decrease food prices, that may have a significant impact on our economic status. Then again, like you say, we must evaluate what is more important.
I couldn’t agree more, it is a big passion of mine to support change in deprived communities and families across New Zealand.
However, we need to take into consideration that supermarkets are big businesses run by organisations and companies that are in it for the money. Despite some of their efforts to reduce food prices or to be more sustainable, as we heard from Rene Bros, they hold the power around food prices and we have to conform to their ideals because we don’t have any other choice. Perhaps if food was run by the government rather than independently, we would be closer to achieving the change New Zealand wants to see. If we complain about over priced food there is not always much the supermarkets can do about it because in the end they have working people to pay and farmers to invest in. Therefore, if the government potentially controlled the food industry, like how they control tax and petrol prices then possibly food could reduce in price if the government wants to invest in food as a human right. But then again there are implications along side that concept. I guess what I’m trying to say is, what would we have to compromise in order to reduce the price of foods? when everything has a price and everyone has a price to pay.
100% agree!!
Food insecurity is an economic issue with social consequences.
I don’t know much about economics (although I’d love to read up more about it) corporations claim to only produce what the population want, however, this is a manipulative tactic used to divert the blame onto consumers themselves, while they provide cheap food for cheaper prices. Supermarkets are at the end of the day, owned by big corporations and businesses that arguably don’t completely ignore its social effects, but neglect it to make a profit.
I agree that NZ as a community should identify and redefine our core values across all areas of life. Might I even suggest introducing or integrating Tikanga or indigenous Maori values and approaches focused on the community. With this being a government-led initiative as well, this would make changes more effective and significant, not only to the lives of families from low-socioeconomic backgrounds but everyone in New Zealand.
I hope to still be alive when this day comes, thanks for the blog!!