Local Food Economy

DevelopingLocal FoodSystems

Developing Local Food Systems

Local food systems provide a multitude of economic benefits to local communities, from the creation of local jobs and new industry opportunities like food tourism, the recirculation of wealth back into the local economy, and marketing opportunities that support food retailers and restaurants. However, the benefit from local food systems does not stop with the economic. Locally grown food is fresher, tastier, and more nutritious. It is also kinder on nature as it doesn’t require as much carbon getting it from A to B. Yet arguably most importantly, a local food system leads to increased food sovereignty for all, and far greater community self-sufficiency and resilience – very important due to earthquake- and weather-vulnerable roading network.

For indigenous communities, food sovereignty is “regularly expressed as the right and responsibility of people to have access to healthy and culturally appropriate foods, while defining their own food system”[1]. Food sovereignty and self-determination is of particular cultural significance to Māori.

[1] Towards Understanding the Role of Kai in the Complex Lives of Whanau (Te Whatu Ora, University of Canterbury, Manatū Hauora)

KNECT started talking with our communities about local food at the start of 2023, with the aim of understanding current barriers to changing the way we feed ourselves, as well as peoples’ aspirations for growing and doing more locally.

Questions and Answers

What have you done to engage the community with this Project?

During the first 6 months of 2023, the Local Food Economy project sought to engage the Buller Kawatiri community in its aspirations around local food.

Community aspirations were inspiring. We learnt that across the district, there is strong support for the reversal of the unintended consequences of the global food system. Research and community conversations have also identified many emerging opportunities for enduring change that address the barriers to a thriving local food system. Rigorous analysis of these opportunities is now required to build on and test our thinking, and it is this analysis that forms the next stages in the LFE project. We have also formed a Community Reference Group so we can keep challenging our thinking and assumptions, and learning through local knowledge.

A Stage 1 progress report, which summarises the key findings from our conversations during this time, can be found here.

What is Buller's current food system?

Working with food system specialists, Dr Niki Bould and Rhys Millar from Ahika, we analysed the way our food system works in Buller now.

The Foodshed and Food System Analysis for the Buller District reveals strong consumer motivations for supporting the local food economy, including:

- Supporting local people and the economy
- Enjoying freshness and better quality produce
- Knowing the source of their food
- Contributing to community sustainability and resilience

Despite current limitations in local food production, there is evident consumer receptivity to local products. The consumer survey indicates significant potential to leverage local food demand with increased availability, while several challenges persist and need to be addressed:

- Limited local food production: Approximately 99.66% of commercially produced food needed for Buller’s population is sourced from outside the district.
- Diverse producer landscape: Local food growers cater to various markets (local, national, international), with some expressing concerns about a limited growth potential of the local market.
- Processing infrastructure: Inadequate facilities for many food processing needs, requiring most local produce to be processed outside the district.
- Retailer difficulties: Local retailers face difficulties in sourcing local food. There is also confusion among consumers about what qualifies as ‘local food’, highlighting a need for improved branding and storytelling.
- Competing with imports: Local producers find it challenging to compete on price with cheaper imported alternatives, even when emphasizing ethical and sustainable practices.

For a detailed analysis, explore our Stage 2 progress report on Buller’s food shed and system analysis (click here).

What is your project strategy going forward?

Taking the findings from Stage 1 and Stage 2, and relying heavily on local knowledge, we will develop a set of prioritised strategies to change the way we feed ourselves for the better. We have started researching funding opportunities that will be essential in bringing to life the changes we want to see.

Project updates will be provided here as our work continues over the coming months and years.

We believe that, together, we have a chance to make our communities more resilient, healthier and happy places for everyone.