Community sufficiency

Posted by —
eatnewzealand

Published —
24.02.2023

While the North Island battled the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle, Kate & I headed to Murihiku / Southland who are facing drought. It’s clear to us that the future of New Zealand food - from stories to security, lies in our communities.

Centralised, homogenous, brittle systems will not only leave us hungry, but greatly diminish our aspirations to feed others globally.

The impact of everything from earthquakes to Covid, flooding to drought means its time to reset the New Zealand food system and dig deep into the foundations of what makes us unique and resilient.

Being in Southland and realising the depth, richness and collaboration of those who grow, catch, make and celebrate our food was such a hopeful thing to do. Whatever is thrown at us, letting us develop community sufficiency will hold us in good stead. It will also send a signal to our visitors and those in our export markets that our food is, indeed, made with care - for our people, our animals and all of our natural world.

Angela Clifford, CE Eat New Zealand. @eat.newzealand

#KnowYourFarmer #KnowYourFisher #EatNZGrains #GrowFoodCommunities #EatNZKaitaki #RepurposeTheSurplus #LotOfLittle #Biodiversity

Read the Southland Times Article

Murihiku Food Storytelling

Earlier this week, we spent a whirlwind and delicious 24 hours in Murihiku/Southland with some of this region's best food producers, growers, distillers, hospitality operators, creatives & food-focused organisations to support the Southland Food Story. From the moment we landed we were treated to endless manaakitanga.

From the ‘Made in Murihiku’ dish of Smoked Blue Cod on Flour Bro sourdough at The Batch Cafe to a tour of the New Zealand Abalone Company Pāua farm & the Manaki Whitebait operation, to a gin tasting in Bluff with Chris from Miele Apiaries Honey. Alongside the Food Storytelling Workshop were a series of canapés prepared by some of Southlands finest chefs including Cameron Davies from The Fat Duck in Te Anau, Southern Institute of Technology students and some of our Kaitaki chefs Ethan and Hayz - with each dish designed to showcase the incredible Southland produce and kaimoana.

During the workshop, Amie of Great South updated us all about the regional & food tourism plans - which is something we’ve been working with Southland on over the last few years. Angela reiterated the incredible opportunity that exists here for this region to be recognised as a world class kaimoana destination and Kate hosted the Food Storytelling workshop to help inspire & motivate businesses to find new ways to tell their food stories.

The next morning, the crew at Coin South hosted us for a round table discussion alongside representatives from the Murihiku Kai Collective, Healthy Families Invercargill, Koha Kai and Lou from Wee Magazine a publication dedicated to showcasing Southland Kai.

A big thank you to Great South for hosting us, we can’t wait to see the Southland Food Story continue to grow and evolve. See more of the action here.

If a Food Storytelling Workshop sounds like something your region might be interested in - please get in touch. We'd love to find more ways to support your regional food story and your people however we can.

#EatNZKaitaki Cyclone Support

Across the country, our Kaitaki are pulling together to do whatever they can to support the devastating effects of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Today (Friday 24th Feb) Forager and journalist Olivia Sisson will join forces with wild kai chef Adam Harrison for a cyclone relief foraging walk in Ōtautahi / Christchurch. There will be foraged snacks by Adam and they’ll be raising funds for another Kaitaki - Wendy of Perfectly Imperfect NZ who is working hard to keep people fed and growers in business after this devastating event. Find more details here.

Hunter and conversationist Hamiora Gibson (Sam the Trap Man) is working hard in Tairawhiti / Gisborne. They are coordinating teams of volunteers to make buildings liveable, mucking out wool sheds, stock yards and resstablishing fence lines. He is seeking support financially, as a volunteer or with baking to feed the volunteer army. They also need donations of a bobcat digger, 50x50 battons, 100mm bugle screws and stock feed.

Another of our Kaitaki Fi Clements from Ōtepoti / Dunedin is hosting a Disaster Relief Auction for 1kg of hand-roasted cacao via Instagram to support Māori wahine and Māori on the ground who have been impacted. You can bid on the 1kg block of chocolate here.

We will continue to share more of these cyclone relief events through our social media channels over the coming weeks, and as Sam says "this will be a long recovery".