Eat NZ Food For Good Programme

A values-based food system is our Eat New Zealand vision. One where we reconnect with where our food comes from - Te Taiao. One that prioritises our communities, our animals and the livelihoods of our family farms and fisheries within our environment. We want a food system that feeds us well and keeps us healthy. One we can be proud of, and celebrate our stories with our visitors.

We are taking a significant step towards that dream. We’ve worked for over a decade to understand how our food system operates and what levers we need to pull for change. The research we did developing the Mana-Centered Local Food System Model showed we needed igniters to create transformation. It’s become apparent the most significant of those is procurement. Purchasing decisions shape production. Behind every meal is a decision. Who grew this food? How did they grow it?

While we, as individuals, have the power to make those decisions with every meal, there are organisations in Aotearoa who do that at the scale of hundreds of thousands of meals a day.

If we really want to shift the dial, we need to start there. And so we are.

We’ve developed a national framework designed to strengthen Aotearoa’s food resilience. Our foundation partner is Compass NZ. They serve 150,000 meals a day across the country, or close to 55 million meals a year. We will be working with them to measure the work they’re already doing, increase it and show the impact it’s having to transform our food system.

While this is the culmination of over ten years of work, this is also just the beginning. We invite others to join this programme as we move forward.

The genesis of this framework lies in The Center for Good Food Purchasing, but it is specifically designed for New Zealand. Grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our unique supply chains and people, we believe Food For Good will significantly shape Aotearoa.