A bi-annual survey of food support agencies across the country found the demand for food has drastically increased since the start of the pandemic, with the rising cost of living stated as the top driver.
The New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) is Aotearoa's most significant food support and distribution. The organisation surveyed 51 of its registered food hubs about the current state of food support and found that since the pandemic, there has been a 165 percent increase in the number of people receiving food support.
Over two-thirds (69 percent) of the food hubs surveyed fed more people than in 2020.
The food hubs rated their ability to meet the current level of demand at 3.4 out of 5, meaning there's significant room for improvement and many more mouths to feed. The cost of the living crisis was reported to be the number one reason for recipients seeking food relief (88 percent), closely followed by low individual and household income (70 percent) and unemployment (65 percent).
Other reasons were disability or sickness and injury, senior citizens living on a low fixed income, and Covid-19 isolation. NZFN's previous survey reported both Covid-19 isolation and lost employment due to Covid-19 as the top reasons for recipients seeking relief;
Concerns have turned from Covid-19 to navigating the rising cost of living. These findings show the real-world impact of the 12 percent spike in food prices according to StatsNZ's recent FPI (food price index), the highest in over thirty years.
Since 2020, funding and support from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) have enabled NZFN to bulk purchase food and boost food hubs' capability to process it through community food distribution infrastructure investments.
However, this has coincided with a rapidly changing socioeconomic environment, driving more Kiwis to seek food relief, including those without support.
This skyrocketing demand impacts NZFN's ability to supply sufficient stock to these reliant food banks. Findings revealed that NZFN provides food support to nearly half a million people (480,104) monthly through its partner food hubs and, on average, has provided 40 percent of the overall food volumes that food banks receive. NZFN delivers 80 to 100 percent of its food stocks to some charities.
One of NZFN's recipient food banks, Te Rūnunga o Te Whānau, provides food support for Te Whānau ā Apanui iwi in the eastern Bay of Plenty. Louise Schroder, Community Connector, stated that NZFN support had been vital during recent weather disasters.
"The recent flooding and multiple road closures have seen us cut off from our nearest town for food supplies - so having the extra food and sundries has been great. We are utilising the bulk food for civil defence emergency supplies to distribute to our thirteen hapus across our iwi," said Shroder.
Marina Hagevoort, Manager of Halo Charitable Trust, discussed how inflation had impacted the South Waikato region.
"There is more desperation for food now as the cost of living has put a lot of pressure on our already vulnerable families here in the South Waikato Area. The organisations working with us are receiving even more requests for support with food," explained Hagevoort.
Helen Holt, Operations Manager at Have a Heart Charitable Trust, shared that there had been a sharp increase in people accessing the organisation's services who usually would not, with particular increases in elderly applicants.
"Without NZFN, we wouldn't exist. The community we serve would be so much worse off than they are now, and whilst we struggle daily with turning people away, we are humbled and grateful to NZFN and its donors," elaborated Holt.
NZFN Chief Executive Gavin Findlay revealed that the current economic conditions had created the perfect storm regarding food insecurity.
Findlay explained that NZFN was launched during the pandemic when more New Zealanders needed food support. However, since then, the company has been working to bridge the gap between surplus stock and communities that have needed uplifting. The new findings have shown that demand has not slowed, so food banks are struggling to keep up with the demand.
The CEO shared that the organisation had seen people needing to cut food budgets to pay for housing and rental hikes, increasing fuel costs and power bills. NZFN's purpose is to alleviate part of this burden. However, Findlay stated that only possible while the organisation has food to give.
"There is more work to be done, and food businesses can do their part by donating surplus food so we can distribute it on their behalf."
NZFN has developed a network of registered food hubs, food warehousing facilities and logistics networks to distribute large volumes of food to vulnerable communities since its inception in July 2020.
