Aotearoa / New Zealand @lemmy.nz Mojojojo1993 @lemmy.world 10mo ago

Kiwis taking control of their Kai

i.stuff.co.nz Te Pāti Māori's fresh new policy seeks to take control from big supermarkets

In her hometown, Hauraki-Waikato candidate for Te Pāti Māori, Hana-Rawhiti Clarke-Maipi launched her party's latest policy seeking to give Māori more autonomy over food from 'seed to the dinner table'.

Open to suggestions on title. App wouldn't provide

What do we think of this ?

I'd say considering we produce for 40 million (at last count) This is objectively false. We produce for profit. Simple as that. We the population subsidize these corporations to use the land as they please. We then get left with what's left over.

Give us the means and we can produce for ourselves. Not hard to grow zucchini. Literally throw seeds in some ground and they sprout up.

Need land and resources and can stop relying on supermarkets.

Obviously plenty of caveats on that way of thinking. However current system isn't fit for purpose. Several individuals get obscenely wealthy while we create health inequalities. Governments are meant to be for the people. Currently that is not the case

3 comments

I think community gardens are great. I think local/community collective produce-buying initiatives etc are great as well. There's nothing wrong with government support for those things.

I think trying to somehow introduce community gardens into the national food distribution chain is ... overly ambitious and putting the cart before the horse. This is not how you get rid of the duopoly.
- I agree. Government should be funding as many initiatives as possible. Food should be getting cheaper not more expensive.
  
  Don't think we should ever rely on unpaid workers and volunteers. Really it's a matter of national security. Without a safeguarded food supply the country is at risk. Failing a fundamental human requirement.
  
  Yes I agree. It's the basic needs of our population, it should be core govt business.
  
  Without a safeguarded food supply the country is at risk
  
  That part gets complex because international organizations like the WTO and the World Bank really, really hate it when countries are interested in food supply self-sufficiency. It's seen as being "anti-trade" and any country that tries it gets the hard word put on them pretty smartly.
  
  NZ for example produces way more protein (esp dairy) and fruit than our population's collective nutritional needs, and not nearly enough vegetables.