UNDERSTANDING FOOD INSECURITY IN NEW ZEALAND

Over 45% of New Zealand’s land is used for food production

Map of New Zealand with prefecture boundaries highlighted in green and black.

Illustration of five cattle, four in yellow and one in gray.

This means we end up exporting more than 4 times the amount of food needed to feed our population

Five illustrated hands with palms facing forward, in various shades of orange and gray.

Yet one in five children aged 2-14 live in moderate to severe food insecurity

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Food insecurity is inequitably associated with Māori and Pacific ethnicity, but young people from all backgrounds are affected.

Household food insecurity at 12 years of age by ethnicity (%)

Data retrieved from: Growing Up in New Zealand. (2023). Now We Are 12: Food insecurity (Snapshot 3).

What is the government currently doing to reduce food insecurity among children in aotearoa?