Mana Kai Initiative
A National Food Roadmap
The Mana Kai Initiative
The Mana Kai Initiative, has brought together sector experts to build a national food network that creates a productive, inclusive, sustainable food system here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Mana Kai Purpose and Values & Priority Action Areas documents are the result of an interpretation and combination of hundreds of perspectives from the very first Mana Kai dialogues and surveys, to the final round tables of the Leadership group. They are an honest reflection of the tensions, triumphs and hope that is shared across Aotearoa as guidance for a future food system that provides nourishment, enjoyment, and pride to all. Click here to read the full reports, including the eight actions for a more inclusive and sustainable food system.
We would like to thank our Secretariat, KPMG, Dialogue Partner, DNA and the Leadership Group for the incredible time, effort and commitment made to bring The Mana Kai Initiative to fruition.
Activity Tracker
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A Te ao Māori code of principles for New Zealand’s food sector
Pg 6, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
The Mana Kai Pou is a code that reflects the fundamental values and principles that organisations commit to giving effect within Aotearoa New Zealand’s food system. These values and principles encompass areas such as food equity, good nutrition, sustainability, and shared prosperity.
Organisations across the food sector will be invited to sign-up and make public commitments aligned with the Mana Kai Pou. A Mana Kai Pou organisation will publicly commit to playing their part in ensuring every New Zealander has access to the food they need in a way that enhances their mana and the surrounding environment.
Current and complementary activity
Eat New Zealand, Kore Hiakai and The Aotearoa Circle are exploring the initiation of this workstream with establishment partners.
Key contact(s):
Angela Clifford (EatNZ)
Tric Malcolm (Kore Hiakai)
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Establishment of community procurement agency and network of food outlets to address ongoing food insecurity with the provision of accessible, affordable and nutritious food.
Pg 7, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
This action will seek to encourage a new form of low cost online not-for-profit food platform.
This action will involve direct ownership, extension, and collaboration with New Zealand Food Network, and operate in parallel with regional and community initiatives with physical stores and food distribution centres. The established not-for-profit platform will act as a centrally connected procurement agent, entering into contracts with food producers, processors and importers to ensure affordable nutritious food supplies utilizing using existing networks and entities.
Current and complementary activity
New Zealand Food Network
Key contact(s): Gavin Findlay
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An enhanced school food and nutrition programme.
Pg 8, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
This action acknowledges that each school and its surrounding community may have unique needs, capabilities and existing initiatives. The priority identified is the valuable opportunity for co-ordinated but customised delivery of healthy meals alongside nutrition education and food skills to schools and Kura as appropriate while aligning or building on existing activity.
Current and complementary activity
Ka ora ka ako
Key contact(s): Alessandro Stollenwerk Cavallaro
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Integrating a whole-food-system approach to future mission-led scientific research.
Pg 8, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
The Mission-led food system science proposes working with MBIE to align and support the Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways system redesign to prioritise holistic research on food systems in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Key to this will be a multidisciplinary approach with diverse engagement across the system, using methodologies from both mātauranga Māori and western science
Current and Complementary Activities
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
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Creating and using accessible and Aotearoa-focussed nutrition information.
Pg 9, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
Updating New Zealand’s dietary guidelines is proposed to focus on the food and nutrition component of the current national healthy eating, drinking and activity guidelines. This action suggests a greater national focus on the unique challenges, opportunities and cultural considerations of New Zealand’s food system.
The action is to evolve the current dietary guidelines, leveraging the nutrition survey and to develop a comprehensive communication and implementation strategy.
Current and Complementary Activities
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An exploration of opportunities for climate positive food and resilient oceans.
Pg 10, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
This initiative aims to bring a collective together to create a Kaimoana Strategy for New Zealand, providing the direction for the future of our ocean systems in relation to food. This strategy would facilitate alignment and
collaboration across the range of actions focused on strengthening the role our oceans can play in the production of foods, bioproducts and climate positive production.
Current and Complementary Activity
Key contact(s): Jodie Kuntzsch
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Supporting pathways for regenerating food production.
Pg 11, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
Deliver an updated quantitative and qualitative analysis of the benefits, risks, and potential market impacts of biotechnology (including gene editing) across the food sector, and use this as the basis for a national conversation about the role of biotechnology in Aotearoa’s food system
Complementary activity includes:
Our Land and Water Regenerative Agriculture Framework
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A national conversation on biotechnology in our food system.
Pg 12, Mana Kai Priority Action Areas
Deliver an updated quantitative and qualitative analysis of the benefits, risks, and potential market impacts of biotechnology (including gene editing) across the food sector, and use this as the basis for a national conversation about the role of biotechnology in Aotearoa’s food system
Current and Complementary Activity
The Aotearoa Circle have initiated a two phase workstream to:
Complete an environmental impact assessment which communicates the scientific evidence, opportunities, potential benefits and risks, and key considerations of using a sample of modern genetic technologies in the context of New Zealand’s food and fibre production systems.
Co-develop an integrated action pathway which incorporates public and private sector, science, NGO and Māori/iwi considerations throughout.
Purpose
The deliverables of both phases fill crucial gaps to enable informed decision-making and understanding of action options and will therefore be provided to the Government and sector to inform the strategic positioning and required actions for Aotearoa to respond to the rapid advancement of modern genetic technologies.
Key contact(s): Jack Keeys
What is the Mana Kai Initiative?
The Initiative is a kōrero or dialogue and is a collaboration, involving all parts of our national food system, to co-create solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing Aotearoa New Zealand food system today.
Through a process of deep discussion with multiple groups representing every facet of our food system from growers and producers to eaters, the Mana Kai Initiative aims to create a national food roadmap that will enhance our food system.
With kōrero at its core, Mana Kai is grounded in Te Ao Māori wisdom. A Mana Kai Framework has been developed as a starting point for kōrero. The Framework presents a Māori view of our food system and its connection to the land, our natural environment and to our people.
Why do we need a National Food Roadmap?
Food is central to life in Aotearoa New Zealand. It underpins the cultural identity of Tangata Whenua and the many diverse communities that have chosen to call New Zealand home. It significantly influences the health outcomes of every New Zealander.
Our natural resources (land, water, soils, oceans, flora and fauna) and our people produce food for domestic consumption and export. The exports we send to the world are a vital source of wealth and prosperity, helping to fund the schools, roads and hospitals that underpin our society. As a consequence the food system lies at the heart of many of the key challenges the Government has identified as priorities for its second term in office.
COVID-19 disruptions, the proportion of our children living without enough healthy, affordable food; unsustainable rates of adult obesity; polluted waterways; market competition are all wake-up calls that our food system is failing to reflect our values and national aspirations.
Understanding the strengths and weaknesses inherent in our food system will provide the opportunity to identify solutions that could contribute to solving some of the biggest challenges facing our country today – that is why The Aotearoa Circle has committed to developing a national food roadmap. We are calling Phase II of the National Food Roadmap workstream: The Mana Kai Initiative
Co-chairs
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Chair
Rangimarie’s experience includes her current role as Chief Executive of Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei Whai Maia, which is responsible for the well-being of its 5,000 tribal members and focuses on te reo Māori, education, health, employment and environmental areas. Rangimarie is also honoured to be the Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana, the Māori Fisheries Trust.
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Deputy Chair
Matt is the Executive Chairman of KPMG New Zealand and is passionate about inclusion across our communities. Matt is an experienced facilitator, helps lead the firm’s work with the Māori sector and is the executive sponsor of KPMG IMPACT in New Zealand, which is transforming his firm’s capability to support Aotearoa face into environmental and social challenges. Matt is also a facilitator with Springboard Trust and a proud board member of World Vision New Zealand.
Leadership Group
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Angela Clifford
CE, Eat New Zealand
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Prof. Boyd Swinburn
Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health, University of Auckland.
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Chris Kerr
Policy Director, Strategy & Insights, MPI
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Emeline Afeaki-Mafile'o
Executive Director, Affirming Works
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Jenny Webster-Brown
Director - Our Land and Water National Science Challenge
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Lee-Ann Marsh
General Manager, AGMARDT
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Martin Workman
Chief Advisor, Ministry for the Environment
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Paul Harvey
Director – Global Foodservice Business Unit at Fonterra
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Rob Hewett
Co-Chair of Silver Fern Farms, Chair of Farmlands
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Tric Malcolm
Pou Ārahi for Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective
Secretariat
Click the link below to read full biographies of each Leadership Group Member