Source: Radio New Zealand
New Zealand Food Network CEO Gavin Findlay points out the imperfection on a donated apple that would have led to it being graded out of supermarket supply. Bonnie Harrison
A new report showing one in three households have struggled to access affordable, nutritious food in the past year has come as a surprise even to the charities putting food on tables.
The Hunger Monitor is the country’s first comprehensive tally of food insecurity and will serve as a benchmark for annual updates.
It surveyed 3000 people late last year.
From its warehouse in Manukau, South Auckland Christian Foodbank delivered 40,000 food parcels last year and chief executive Ian Foster said that number was climbing.
“I can remember in Covid we were doing 100 a day and we thought how the heck are we doing that, this year we’ve averaged 177 a day.”
He founded the foodbank 18 years ago.
“What we’re seeing more of now is budgeters have done everything they can but people simply do not have enough money because their income has not increased anywhere near living costs,” Foster said.
“Until we turn that around, we’ve got a major problem.”
He was surprised to learn one in three households had struggled to afford food in the past year – they did not all turn up at food banks.
The Hunger Monitor also found nearly one in five households, 18 percent, had experienced severe food insecurity in that time.
It was commissioned by the New Zealand Food Network, a collection of foodbanks and food rescue charities. Its chief executive Gavin Findlay said the numbers are startling.
“I did find it confronting and a little bit surprising, based on our own previous research and anecdotal evicence from our hubs we knew there was an issue but I think the scale and scope of it across demographics, across income levels, was surprising.”
New Zealand Food Network chief executive Gavin Findlay (R) being interviewed in the charity’s south Auckland warehouse in 2022. Bonnie Harrison
Nearly half of low-income households faced food insecurity and just under a third of full-time workers experienced food insecurity.
High income houses with debt were not immune to struggles at the supermarket.
“Even at high income levels, over $156,000 household income, you’ve got 12 percent who are indicating that they’ve had some form of food insecurity. You just never would have thought that was possible.”
Findlay said the report was an important benchmark.
“We now absolutely know that there is an issue, we need to continue what we’re doing in terms of supporting those that need food support. We may even need to do more.”
The survey showed two-thirds, 68 percent of households that struggled to afford food had experienced that for the first time last year and that many were hesitant to access food support, citing shame or embarrassment as the reason.
Vision West provided food parcels, ran a social supermarket, and offered a free community lunch once a week.
Its director of partnerships Brook Turner said demand for food became evident during the pandemic but there had been a 50 percent jump in households approaching it for help since this time last year.
“I just don’t understand why food isn’t seen as a legitimate need. I get that we need to have benefits that are enough that people have enough to put food on the table, that’s always going to be the first choice that mum should be able to go to the grocery store and buy food for her kids but that’s not the reality.”
He said the Hunger Monitor showed that hunger was an entrenched issue that New Zealand was facing.
Vision West director of partnerships Brook Turner. Supplied
Henderson Budget Service chief executive Tracey Phillips said it was working with 200 families and got around 60 new referrals a month.
“Whānau with children have got under $100 left over at the end of the week after they’ve paid some of those other bills, paid their rent, paid their power, put some fuel in the car to get to work. It’s tough.”
She said in the five years she had been at the budgeting service, the need had become more widespread because incomes were not keeping up with basic costs.
“It used to be people who weren’t working and were going through just a bit of a rough patch needing that temporary support, whereas now there’s working whānau that are really struggling to put food on the table,” Phillips said.
“Cost of living has driven the cost of food up but wages and benefits are not keeping up with that so there’s just a disconnect between the amount of money that’s coming in versus what’s needed just to put food on the table.”
Turner said the need for foodbanks was evident.
“We need emergency food for people who fall through the system and I hope the government can hear that.”
Vision West is among food charities that are asking government to extend their funding beyond June this year, or they risk reducing their services or closing.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
