It feels like so much can happen in a fortnight at the moment. Rain here on The Food Farm after a year of drought has seen an explosion of growth, and a significant sigh of relief from my community. Globally, the USA have locked in the next four years of their version of the world with Trump as president. Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, one of the most significant protests in my lifetime is underway with the Hīkoi to Parliament, protesting the Treaty Principles Bill. It’s amazing how quickly all of these things can feel like a ’normal’ way of being, while in truth they are accelerated periods of change and disruption. In the midst of all of this I was at Parliament presenting to the petitions committee on a National Food Strategy for NZ. It was another opportunity to call for a strategic response to the adverse outcomes our food system is currently delivering.
There is an increase in food systems thinking happening in Aotearoa in general, as we consider the future of our food security and food stories. A period of flux can feel uncomfortable, but it can also hold some extraordinary opportunities if we’re brave enough to grasp them. The moments to discuss this abound currently, with many ways to engage below. Resilience and improvisation feel like the flavour of our current times. Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua. From adversity comes the opportunity to make change. Angela Clifford CE Eat New Zealand. @eat.newzealand
Image above: CE Angela Clifford and Helen Beattie (VAWA) waiting to address the petition select committee in Parliament. | 
