Assessing the resilience of food systems in Aotearoa New Zealand

Key points

• Climate shocks and stresses are impacting food systems and contributing to rising food insecurity in Aotearoa New Zealand
• The Queenstown Lakes District and Greater Christchurch have assessed and mapped their food systems

Assessing and mapping food systems helps communities to understand where vulnerabilities lie and to identify actions that strengthen resilience. The climate in Aotearoa New Zealand is becoming hotter with more frequent droughts. Sea levels are rising, there is greater variation in rainfall and more severe and frequent extreme weather events. Climate change is impacting food systems and contributing to rising food insecurity, particularly among some population groups, including Māori [1].

Queenstown Lakes District

The community-led organisation Wao began assessing the Queenstown Lakes District food system in 2022 with support from the local council. They identified local food system stakeholders and conducted a survey and interviews to understand food flows into and out of the district.

The survey showed that most people were purchasing their food from large supermarkets with little sourcing through community food networks. Key vulnerabilities included an over-reliance on bringing food into the district, little local food growing and lack of diversity in food grown. There were concerns about potential climate-related disasters, such as flooding, as well as earthquakes and pandemic [2].

The food system resilience assessment included development of a GIS food map, with spatial information about climate, soil types, stakeholders, land use zones and foraging locations. The map was used to identify areas where local food production could be increased, and work is continuing on its development.

Opportunities to strengthen resilience in the region included development of a food hub, shared food processing facilities and establishing farmers markets. In 2024, the Southern Lakes Kai Collective was established, to drive the transition to a vibrant, resilient food system [2] [3].

Greater Christchurch

The City of Christchurch led the way in food resilience planning after the catastrophic earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 by adopting a Food Resilience Policy. The policy aims to promote a resilient food system for the city, with thriving social, economic and physical environments that provide healthy, affordable and locally grown food for all [4].

Around the same time, the city conducted a Preliminary Resilience Assessment of the shocks and stresses that could impact the Greater Christchurch region. They identified critical assets that needed to be protected and investigated stakeholder perceptions of strengths and weaknesses in resilience through workshops and surveys [5].

The Resilient Greater Christchurch Plan was released in 2016, with four goals and 11 programmes of work, including an action to, “Build capacity to source food from our local and urban environments to sustain our people and rediscover our relationships with nature”. The action targets multiple food system outcomes. It supports the re-emergence of local food supply chains and a local food economy, establishing community gardens on public and community land, and increasing participation in community gardening for social cohesion and healthier lifestyles [6].