We’ve developed a policy to guide how we support food security and resilience in our community.
Food security is a fundamental part of community wellbeing. It means having reliable access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food. Food security is not only about the availability of food, it’s also about the affordability, accessibility, and opportunity to prepare and store it.
Our policy is a result of community organisations asking Council to improve food resilience and security in our city. The research and engagement stage of the policy process identified areas where direction provided through a Council policy could support city food security and resilience in accordance with the newly adopted strategic direction.
Read the food security report
Alongside the development of this policy, we have also allocated $30,000 of funding to support community initiatives.
Photo: Kylie Phillips from Te Pātaka Kai 4412 at Best Care Whakapai Hauora – this is a charitable trust working with other Manawatū partners to provide kai within the 4412 community.
Our policy aims to make sure people have access to healthy food
We want to be a city where every resident has access to nutritious and affordable food. We also want to strengthen our community’s resilience against food-related challenges, such as food poverty and the impacts of climate change.
Through this policy, we commits to making a conscious and deliberate effort to contribute to a sustainable and inclusive food system that supports community wellbeing. Our policy recognises the need for partnership and collaboration with community initiatives; the Council will be a supporter and advocate as well as a provider and facilitator.
The policy will contribute to our strategic goals
This policy contributes to Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru – Goal 3: A connected and safe community, and to the outcomes we want for our communities, including:
- access to services and facilities that are inclusive and appropriate for their needs
- the support they want to live healthy lives
- community social service groups and facilities that are well supported and invested in.
This policy also contributes to Whāinga 4: He tāone toitū, he tāone manawaroa – Goal 4: A sustainable and resilient city, and to the outcomes we want for our community, including:
- a circular economy with more resource recovery and less waste
- a healthy, thriving, ecosystem, including native biodiversity and food security
- access to relevant information and education to support more sustainable choices
- natural environment-focused community groups and facilities that are well supported and invested in.
Issues raised by submitters
Most submitters were positive about the proposed Policy, highlighting support for:
- The significance of food security issues
- The importance of collaboration and support for current initiatives and services
- The appropriateness of Council providing leadership in this area
- Food security as a core concern of local government
Submitters who did not support some or all of the proposed policy highlighted:
- Affordability issues for ratepayers
- The inappropriateness of Council’s involvement in this area
- That this policy is a waste of resources
- That resources would be better spent on core Council activities
- Addition of ‘food rescue’ to the list of current responses by the community to food security issues in the ‘Introduction and purpose’ section.
- Amendment of the introduction to the ‘Objectives’ section to include the words “healthy and nutritious” and remove reference to affordability.
We want to be a city where every resident has access to healthy and nutritious food, and where the community is resilient in the face of food-related challenges. We also want to be part of building a sustainable and inclusive food system that enhances the wellbeing of all residents. The purpose of this policy is to inform and guide Council’s actions in support of food security and resilience in our community.
- Amendment of the proposed objectives (with changes described in brackets) to read:
1. Equitable access to healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food. [Addition of the word “equitable”]
2. A resilient community with reliable access to food.
3. Local food systems that are environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.
4. Public spaces that support food production alongside other community use.
5. Communities and organisations that are supported to deliver food security and resilience services and initiatives. [Expansion of “Community organisations” to “Communities and organisations”, and addition of “services and”]
6. Community-led educational opportunities that enable individuals, whānau, and communities to enhance their knowledge and skills. [Addition of words “whānau, and communities”]
7. Less food is wasted.
8. An engaged and connected community working together.
- Change of the principle ‘Partnership’ to ‘Relationships’ to better reflect the intention and to respond to Rangitāne o Manawatū concern that use of ‘Partnership’ here as a principle could diminish the status of the Council-iwi partnership.
Read the report that discusses these changes
The Council formally adopted the policy on 5 March 2025.
Read the adopted Food Security and Resilience Policy(PDF, 408KB)
What happens now?
Now that Te kaupapahere mō te tūwhita me te manawaroa o te kai Food Security and Resilience Policy has been adopted by Council, we will work on developing an implementation plan. Progress towards implementing these actions will be reporting to Council annually.