Assessing the
State of Food
Insecurity in New
Zealand
Students:
Derek Comeau, Jason Conklin,
Benjamin Huang, Paige O’Gorman
Sponsor:
Professor Michael Elmes
December 12, 2019
Table of Contents fix numbers
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. ii
1.Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1
2.Literature Review......................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Context ................................................................................................................................ 2
2.2 Identifying Levels of Perception ......................................................................................... 4
2.4 Food Security Indices in New Zealand ............................................................................... 5
2.5 Case Studies ........................................................................................................................ 7
3.Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 13
3.1 Objective 1: Assess the government’s role in addressing the issue of food insecurity .... 13
3.2 Objective 2: Identify Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and community-based
efforts ...................................................................................................................................... 14
3.3 Objective 3: Understand how food insecurity affects individuals .................................... 15
3.4 Proposed Timeline ............................................................................................................ 16
4.Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 18
5.References .................................................................................................................................. 19
6.Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 21
i
List of Figures
Figure 1: Kiwis celebrate their harvest in the Innermost community garden in Wellington ......... 3
Figure 2: Fresh vegetables offered as part of the Karori Community Centre farmers’ market. .... 4
Figure 3: Entrance of the Fawkner Community House ................................................................. 8
Figure 4: A community garden from Fawkner Community House ............................................... 9
Figure 5: Food Insecurity Chart from 08/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey .................. 11
Figure 6: The Beehive, seat of the National Government of New Zealand in Wellington ......... 14
Figure 7: West Auckland's Stu Tong and Faith Bishop pick out a few items at the food bank .. 15
Figure 8: Proposed timeline for methods ..................................................................................... 17
ii
1. Introduction
The food security status of the world’s population ranges in severity depending on
several factors, including geography, socioeconomics, and politics. According to The State of
Food Security and Nutrition in the World, published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization and the World Health Organization, “about 2 billion people in the world experience
moderate or severe food insecurity” (FAO et al., 2019). The majority live in low-income
countries with women and children in these areas being the most affected. Though various
international organizations define the term differently, they agree that food security, or more
accurately, food insecurity is generally defined as uncertainty or lack of access to a sufficient
quantity, adequate quality, and/or culturally appropriate food. Therefore, the consequences of
food insecurity are far-reaching, and include political instability, economic inequality, and
lasting poverty (Weinfield et al., 2014).
Measures to solve the global problem of food insecurity exist at the international,
national, provincial, and local levels in most countries. These initiatives use a variety of
strategies toward the common goal of providing relief from hunger and malnutrition. The way in
which these goals are accomplished vary greatly, however, ranging from government-sponsored
food assistance programs, to urban community gardens. Food insecurity is an enduring and
pervasive global issue that the international community seeks to better understand and mitigate,
in order to increase stability and prosperity throughout the world.
A baseline for the experience of food insecurity in New Zealand is not clear. The country
has diverse opportunity and traditions regarding food. Access to quality food has complex
dimensions including socio-economic factors, and the parameters of an island ecosystem.
Furthermore, there has been limited documentation of food insecurity in New Zealand. This may
partly be due to the use of the term “food insecurity,” or it may not have been systematically
mapped. The existing research on food insecurity has generally focused on the needs of children
or on gender disparities, but food insecurity includes cultural relationships with food, knowledge
of programs, and public awareness to make the term “food accessibility” easy to talk about.
The goal of this project is to assess the current state of food insecurity in New Zealand.
To meet that goal, we have the following objectives: 1. Assess the government’s role in
addressing the issue of food insecurity 2. Analyze NGO efforts 3. Understand how food
insecurity affects individuals. By investigating policies, relief programs, and experiences, we
hope to achieve a baseline for future planning and food security commitment in New Zealand.
1
2. Literature Review
This chapter presents our research into the discussion of food insecurity, the public
perception surrounding the issue, and the public policy in place. After establishing the current
context of this issue within New Zealand and the world, we identify the stakeholders that have
relevant influence and interest in the project goals. We also analyze relevant literature and
examine two case studies that pertain to food insecurity.
2.1 “Understanding the context of Food Insecurity in New Zealand”
In New Zealand alone, 100,000 families do not have access to a sufficient amount of
food. The term “access” can be understood in various ways, including physical access, financial
access, and educational access. Physical access refers to the distance to a grocery store or market.
Financial access refers to the struggle to afford healthy food options or even the cost for
transportation to travel to the store. Lastly, educational access refers to the lack of awareness
about nutrition and food choices (S. Stevenson, 2013).
Beyond common metrics for food insecurity, an Adult Nutrition survey from 2009 noted
that, 14% of New Zealand households reported that they frequently run out of food, according to
an Adult Nutrition Survey done in 2009 (Toi Te Ora Public Health, 2015). Adding to the
complexity of the topic, varying views on cultural relationships to food and degrees of access to
food can exist at once. In New Zealand today, the leading reason for food insecurity has been
identified as poverty.
A study conducted by the Auckland City Mission calculated that the average family
member, being assisted by the City Mission was restricted to $21.94 per week to buy everyday
household necessities, including groceries, toiletries, and more (“Food Security,” 2018). The
same study revealed that women are more likely to be food insecure than men. This in turn also
has implications for children. The 2015 New Zealand Health Survey found that one in every five
children lived in a food insecure household (Ministry of Health, 2019). Ultimately, food
insecurity can lead to other related health risks such as obesity, behavioral difficulties, and poor
nutrition.
New Zealand has instituted some positive efforts to curb the hunger crisis. Community
gardens help engage the Wellington neighborhoods in a green and organic manner (Figure 1).
2
Figure 1: Kiwis celebrate their harvest in the Innermost community garden in Wellington, New Zealand (Branch Out
Newsletter, n.d.).
These gardens were established for the purpose of growing fruits and vegetables and are run by
the Wellington City Council. The City Council approves the applications for community gardens
and supervises the plots already established. They establish partnerships with supportive
organizations, fund agricultural projects, provide land, recruit volunteers, and donate mulch and
compost that can be used in the gardens (Wellington City Council, n.d). In addition to city-wide
efforts such as the community gardens, there are many NGOs dedicated to serving more locally,
targeting specific neighborhoods in the city. One example of this kind of relief effort is the
Karori Community Centre (Figure 2).
3
Figure 2: Fresh vegetables offered as part of the Karori Community Centre farmers’ market (Karori Community Centre,
2019).
This center provides a diverse set of services to nearby residents, which include food
parcel distribution and a farmer's market (Karori Community Centre, 2019). These are both
examples of current efforts by the government and communities of New Zealand to address the
issue of food insecurity.
2.2 Identifying the Levels of Perception
Food insecurity affects society at all levels and in many aspects. In order to properly
identify the stakeholders of our project, we must analyze its scope relative to the New Zealand
economic, social, and political landscape. Looking first at the socio-economic landscape of New
Zealand, it is apparent that there is a disparity between groups. For example, Māori Kiwis have
lower average income than Kiwis of European descent (NZ.Stat, n.d.). Regarding food insecurity
management from a political perspective, it seems the National government of New Zealand
focuses less on food access and more on nutrition and food safety, while the local government
focuses on community and neighborly efforts, as can be inferred from the Wellington City
Council website (https://wellington.govt.nz/).
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The first, and most obvious stakeholders are those directly impacted by food insecurity.
These are residents who lack access to adequate quantity or quality of food, and who suffer as a
result. The experiences of this group are critical to clarify the reality versus the public perception
of the state of food security in New Zealand. The National, Regional, and Local governments are
also stakeholders in this project since they are directly responsible for and involved with food
security programming and funding throughout New Zealand.
2.3 The Scope and Range of Food Insecurity in New Zealand
The scope of food insecurity has some supporting documentation and research. In 2012, a
thesis was published by the University of Otago, Dunedin New Zealand on the topic of food
security in New Zealand; specifically, the relationship between food security, ethnicity and body
weight status. In this study, Stevenson found that “New Zealand has one of the highest rates of
obesity worldwide alongside countries such as the US and Mexico” (Ono, Guthold, & Strong,
2010). A primary insight from this study was that “Pacific people were found to have the highest
prevalence of obesity (63.7%) with 41.7% of Maori adults and 24.3% of NZEO adults also being
classified as obese” (H. Stevenson, 2011).
Stevenson presents a correlation between food choices, nutrient intake, and food security.
She believes that it is important to consider food and nutrient intake when understanding the
relationship of food insecurity and Body Mass Index (BMI) since “one of the first steps in food
insecurity is to decrease the quality and variety of the diet consumed to help in the latter stages of
food insecurity and to prevent hunger” (Radimer, 1990; Parnell, 2005). Households facing
poverty or living in food deserts tend to choose “less healthy” foods that lack nutritional value in
order to save money and prevent becoming more food insecure (H. Stevenson, 2012). She points
to a study conducted in New Zealand which revealed that “one of the first steps taken by
households that experienced food insecurity was to limit fruit and vegetables” (H. Stevenson,
2012; Rush et al., 2007; Carter, Lanumata, Kruse, & Gorton, 2010). It also found that 83% of the
participants would still buy fruits and vegetables at times when money was limited, but 15%
would go without them frequently (Rush et al., 2007). Stevenson (2012) believes that the poor
nutritional value of the individuals in these households may be a direct result of these concerns.
2.4 Food Security Indices in New Zealand
The Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA led a collaborative effort to develop a
“comprehensive benchmark measure of the severity and prevalence of food insecurity and
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hunger” (H. Stevenson, 2012), which resulted in the Household Food Security Module (HFSM).
The scale encompasses five types of household food condition events and behaviors, which
include; anxiety, quality and quantity of food eaten, coping strategies, and consequences of
reduced food intake (Hamilton et al., 1997; Carlson, Andrews, & Bickel, 1999). Through the
HFSM index, households can be classified as either having high, marginal, low, or very low food
security. This model has been adopted by many countries and altered based on local
circumstances.
Using an existing model by Radimer et al. and indicators identified in focus groups,
Stevenson created a conceptual model specifically for New Zealand to develop diagnostic
questions of food security. Five common themes were identified in order to develop this model:
food insecurity, food inadequacy, coping strategies, alternative sources, and cultural issues.
Within the theme of food insecurity, the “issues of hunger, anxiety of providing meals, the
restriction of the amount and type of food purchased, and lack of access to food” were included.
From these themes, the eight indicator questions were developed and split into three categories,
which allowed the researchers to determine a theoretical value for household food insecurity.
The three categories were: “Fully/almost fully food secure; moderately food secure; and low
food security status” (H. Stevenson, 2012).
This model was used during the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Adult Nutrition
Survey of 2008/09, with a sample of 4441 participants, which “allow[ed] a unique opportunity to
examine household food security status within New Zealand and its relationship to body weight
status and nutrient intake on a nationally representative sample of New Zealanders” (H.
Stevenson, 2012). After analyzing this survey, Stevenson discovered that over 59.1% of the
population was food secure, and this status correlated with a lower level of poverty, smaller
household, and higher income and education (H. Stevenson, 2012).
In the results of her thesis, Stevenson categorized efforts by households to avoid food
insecurity, such as having a less varied diet, utilizing food assistance programs, and receiving
food from food banks, as “coping strategies” (H. Stevenson, 2012). Initiatives are currently in
place in New Zealand, such as charitable organizations providing food banks and the Fruit in
Schools initiative that provides a piece of fruit once a day to disadvantaged children. While there
are many initiatives in place, these organizations and programs do not address the cause of food
insecurity and a long-term solution is not provided (H. Stevenson, 2012).
Researchers in the Department of Public Health and Health Inequalities Research
Program have taken interest in investigating the demographic and socio-economic determinants
6
of food insecurity in New Zealand. They have also researched whether these factors vary
between gender. In this study, the researchers defined someone as “food insecure” if they have
gone without fresh fruit and vegetables often, used the benefits of a food bank, or have been
forced to buy cheaper food over the last 12 months (Carter et al., 2010). Using the Survey of
Families, Income and Employment, demographic variables were determined from the Wave 3
interview where subjects were categorized based on age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, family
circumstance, and household composition (Carter et al., 2010). Socioeconomic variables were
determined by categorizing subjects based on household income, labor force involvement, and
highest level of education (Carter et al., 2010).
The results showed that over 15% of the respondents were food insecure back in 2004/05,
with food insecurity being associated with “single parenthood, unmarried status, younger age
groups, Māori and Pacific ethnicity, and lower socioeconomic status” (Carter et al., 2010). A
primary insight from this study, however, was that food insecurity was “found to be much higher
in females (19%) compared to males (12%)” (Carter et al., 2010).
This same model that was used during the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Adult
Nutrition Survey of 2008/09 was again administered as part of the New Zealand Health Survey
in 2014/15 and 2015/16. The findings of this survey demonstrate similar trends as the Adult
Nutrition Survey. The findings of the Health Survey report that “Household food insecurity is
closely related to income” and “For households with a gross annual income of $50,000 or less,
the proportion of children living in food-insecure households was more than 40 percent”
(Ministry of Health, 2019). Another notable finding of this survey was that “The proportion of
children living in food-insecure households was highest among Maori and Pacific populations”
(Ministry of Health, 2019). These findings corroborate the findings of other studies, and thus
provide us with strong candidates for indicators of food insecurity in the Kiwi population.
2.5 Relevant Case Studies on Food Insecurity Evaluation and Mitigation
We examined two studies to learn from communities that have tackled food insecurity. We have
identified key strategies we can implement to increase the success of our project.
Case 1. Fawkner Community House
In Victoria, Australia, Sarah Abell et al. deconstructed the term food insecurity to include
food access, food availability, and food usage. Unable to tackle the issue over the whole country
of Australia, the team focused their research on the Fawkner Community House. The house
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assists those in the Fawkner community dealing with food insecurity and provides aid to around
400 people weekly. The overall goal for the project was to “assess the food security needs of the
Fawkner community members, aid the Fawkner Community House in expanding their
emergency food relief programs, help determine plans for a food security hub, and assist the
house in acquiring future funding” (figure 3) (Abell, Correia, Fayyaz, & Salerno, 2014).
Figure 3: Entrance of the Fawkner Community House (Abell et al, 2014).
To understand the opinions of individuals in the Fawkner Community House, the team
conducted focus groups and interviews. In total, they collected data from 61 members of the
Fawkner community, 21 of them participating in individual interviews. Abell and the team found
focus groups to be an effective source of data as the setting of multiple people in the same
situation made individuals more likely to open up and share related information (Abell et al.,
2014).
From their data, they identified poverty and unemployment as the primary causes for
food insecurity in Fawkner (Abell et al., 2014). Individuals interviewed at the Fawkner
Community House responded positively towards food banks but claimed that it still wasn’t
enough. Thus, like many food insecure people, they would have to either portion their food or
skip meals (Abell et al, 2014). Having to budget the little money they possess, residents said they
would also buy cheaper, non-nutritious foods. While this works temporarily, the lack of a
8
balanced diet deems them to still be food insecure (Abell et al, 2014). Thus, any ways to provide
fruits and vegetables to families would prove beneficial to the overall health of food insecure
individuals.
The team identified a few recommendations that the community could do to combat food
insecurity. Their first recommendation was to set up more community gardens and food banks
(Figure 4). Programs such as these would allow residents to receive an education on how to grow
and cook nutrient-rich foods while being able to receive what they grew (Abell et al, 2014).
Other recommendations were to create youth groups, set up community transportation to
markets, food sharing programs (figure 4). These recommendations seem like viable options to
aid food insecure communities, even those outside of Fawkner.
Figure 4: A community garden from the Fawkner Community House (Abell et al, 2014).
From examining this case study, we have identified aspects to be relevant. This project
heavily dealt with the public perception on food insecurity rather than setting up a new program
themselves. This is similar to the scope of our project, as we will be investigating government
policies and community efforts to combat against food insecurity. We may be able to use similar
data collection methods such as interviews and focus groups. Additionally, they recorded their
experiences and observations effectively with photography. These photographs added a layer of
validity and depth to the report and helped support their claims.
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We also found challenges and limitations within the case study that we hope to avoid for
our project. The first limitation was that they lacked diversification in their data collection
methods. The case study had an abundance of qualitative data to back their claims and
recommendations, but they didn’t have many avenues which they drew data from. Another
challenge they faced was participant hesitancy to speak openly. They found focus groups helped
“people feel more comfortable since there were multiple participants and people are more likely
to share reliable and useful information when they see other members of their community doing
the same” (Abel et al., 2014). After examining this study, we found many techniques that we can
incorporate into our project.
Case 2. New Zealand Adult Nutrition
A second case study features the 2008 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey (NZANS).
This study, conducted by Sally Mackay et al., “assessed self-reported food and nutrient intake,
dietary habits and eating patterns, dietary supplement use, food security, and nutrition-related
health conditions and risk factors” of adults across New Zealand (Mackay et al., 2011). The
study had a 61% response rate and had a total of 4721 participants aged 15 or above. To gather
data, “the 2008/09 NZANS used a multi-stage, stratified, probability-proportional-to-size (PPS)
sample design, with increased sampling of some ethnic groups and age groups, primarily through
a ‘screened’ sample (Mackay et al., 2011).
Once selected, recruiters would call the potential participant to take an in-person survey
interview. These interviews were about 90 minutes long and included: a demographic
assessment, a 24-hour diet recall, body measurements, blood pressure measurements, and
questionnaires relating to dietary habits, food security, and nutrition. Additionally, participants
could provide urine or blood samples if they desired. All participants were given a bag with the
survey logo on it, but to incentivize providing a blood or urine sample, participants were
awarded $50 grocery vouchers for doing so (Mackay et al., 2011).
By being a national survey, this study was able to achieve a large sample size that
covered a wide range of demographics. Additionally, the high volume of very specific questions
from the survey provided a lot of quantitative data to be analyzed. Aside from questions relating
to the participant’s background, many of the questions related to what specific kinds of food
participants ate to assess their nutritional intake. There were eight questions that specifically
dealt with food security. These questions inquired if the interviewee could afford to eat properly,
if they are reliant on grants or food banks for food, and what their psychological feelings are
10
about their status around food security. From collecting data from all these questions, the study
deemed that 59.1% of the New Zealand population was “fully/almost food secure”, 33.7% were
“moderately food secure”, and 7.3% were “low food secure” (Mackay et al., 2011). From this
data, it appears that while many New Zealanders can afford to be fed properly, there is still a
significant portion of the population that food insecure.
Figure 5: Food Insecurity Chart from 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey (NZANS) (Mackay et al., 2011).
This study is relevant to our project in many aspects. Being based in New Zealand, much
of the findings from this study directly correlates to topics we will be examining. However,
while this study examined more deeply the nutritional values of dietary intakes, we will focus on
the public perception and investigating government policies on food insecurity. Additionally, as
we will be based in Wellington, we will focus on the local residents rather than questioning
participants from the entire country. Despite this limitation, we aim for our data to still have a
balanced representation according to gender, age, region, and cultural background. Additionally,
we realize that asking individuals to respond to questions from strangers is difficult, so we were
interested to see that incentives can improve participation (Mackay et al., 2011). Interviews were
performed only on those who responded to their phone calls, and thus individuals who didn’t
have access to phones or were homeless were typically overlooked and misrepresented in the
data. We hope to avoid this issue by conducting our surveys and research in-person.
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2.6 Summary
Throughout our research, we found that food insecurity is an issue that affects
populations all across the world. In New Zealand specifically, we found that the Maori and
Pacific Islander populations are affected most by food insecurity in New Zealand. Additionally,
the issue of food insecurity affects people differently and its level of impact varies across
different ages, cultural backgrounds, and genders. The stakeholders that have a vested interest in
this project are primarily the residents who experience food insecurity on a regular basis, the
various levels of government responsible for addressing the problem, food security-related nongovernmental organizations, and community efforts. These stakeholders will help us to shape our
methodology and influence our recommendations as we move forward.
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3. Methodology
The goal of this project is to evaluate the state of food insecurity in New Zealand. We
have identified three main objectives necessary to accomplish this goal. First, we will assess the
government’s role in addressing the issue of food insecurity. This provides appropriate context
for how this issue is addressed at the national, regional, and local levels. Next, we will identify
the non-governmental and other organizations that are engaged with hunger and food security in
the community. A thorough understanding of these efforts will provide insight into the
distribution and difficulties in food access. Our final objective is to understand how food
insecurity affects individuals. This will provide us with personal perspectives and with valuable
demographic information.
3.1 Objective 1: Assess the Government’s role in Addressing the Issue of Food Insecurity
Our first objective is to assess the government's role in addressing the issue of food
insecurity. We will examine current laws and policies in place and how they impact the
population. Additionally, we will investigate government programs that are tackling the issue
and assess their impact on the community. This objective can be met through archival research
on existing policies.
We will conduct semi-structured interviews with government officials from the city
council, regional, and national levels. We decided to use semi-structure interviews because this
will allow us the best mix of flexibility while maintaining structure in our interview process. This
is important as it “provides a framework that helps ensure all the important issues are covered in
time.” (Ward, 2014). Since we will be conducting these interviews with government officials, we
must be able to effectively budget our time with them to focus on the questions that hold priority
in our research. The content of the interviews will focus on actions the government takes to
address food insecurity problems and will most likely be a sample of convenience. By engaging
with these experts, we hope to gain knowledge of the role in which the government plays in the
current policy in place as well as any future plans.
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Figure 6: The Beehive, seat of the National Government of New Zealand in Wellington (Collins, 2015).
3.2 Objective 2: Identify NGO and community-based efforts
The second objective is to analyze NGO and community-based organizations that are
involved in the relief of food insecurity. Our strategy is to locate and map the most common and
widespread relief programs for food insecure residents. Determining which types of
organizations serve the most people, their geographical distribution, and the awareness of the
general population has for these organizations are all important for our understanding of how
these organizations address the issue of food insecurity.
We will volunteer, as a form of participant observation, to document the day-to-day
operation of these types of organizations. Volunteering will give us the opportunity to interact
with staff, other volunteers, and individuals directly affected by food insecurity. In addition, this
research method will help us to understand the issue more practically and directly, giving us
experiential data. The team will volunteer at a food bank in Wellington, so that we can take notes
on the experiences that residents are facing as well as the relief that the agency is providing. We
have identified several possible sites in which we can conduct this type of research, including the
Wellington City Mission, Salvation Army Community Ministry, and the Karori Food Bank.
These organizations distribute food parcels to communities in need and will act as direct sources
of information and experience related to food insecurity.
We will conduct semi-structured interviews with the food banks’ staff to gain an
understanding of their approach in handling food insecurity. Semi-structured interviews are
essential in this case because we want to hear the stories and experiences of the staff, as well as
explore their motivations and thoughts relating to their work. The loose and flexible nature of a
semi structured interview will allow us to pivot as needed to include anecdotal data (Ward,
2014). By comparing the strategies and goals of the food banks, we can better gauge the
14
effectiveness and identify which types of organizations need support. This will allow us to make
realistic and measured recommendations for potential future project focus opportunities, and to
examine the contribution and/or mitigation of these types of organizations to the issue of food
insecurity at the local, regional, and national level.
Figure 7: Salvation Army West Auckland's Stu Tong and Faith Bishop pick out a few items at the food bank (Roberts,
2016).
Lastly, we will document the food banks with photography. These photos will record our
experience volunteering during our participant observation and portray the impact these
organizations have on the community. Photography is a useful media tool that effectively
captures the landscape and atmosphere of the moment. This will help provide visual context and
depth to our data when we report on efforts behind resolving this crisis.
3.3 Objective 3: Understand how food insecurity affects individuals
The final objective is to understand the experiences of those who are directly affected by
food insecurity. We understand that the issue is not spread evenly across the population and so
we will investigate how the experience varies amongst different demographics. Additionally, we
will examine obstacles that individuals face that leads to food insecurity. Furthermore, we will
collect input on attitudes towards food insecurity.
The first strategy for gathering data from individuals is to conduct interviews. Using
semi-structured interviews will provide more focused insight on the opinions of those affected.
As we conduct these interviews, the team will build two or three profiles of individuals directly
affected by food insecurity. The informal, semi-structured environment will allow us to get
useful qualitative data while not presenting ourselves as too overbearing or invasive. This can
15
allow participants to explain their honest thoughts and opinions more freely. In order to gain
access to vulnerable individuals in a non-threatening way, we will identify a “gatekeeper” as
mentioned in Researching the City (Ward, 2014). This individual “must be someone who is
trusted, who has a strong social network, and who is willing to introduce you to those you wish
to work with” (Ward, 2014).
When volunteering at food banks, we expect to meet activists in the community who are
both passionate and well informed on the issue of food insecurity. These individuals will act as
our “gatekeeper” to the community of food insecure individuals who visit the site and may grant
us an audience for an interview. To supplement our interviews, we plan to conduct surveys with
willing members of the community. These surveys are useful in collecting quantitative data on
the research topics we are interested in. We will design a paper survey, to hand out to food bank
recipients, to provide simplified data that we can use to measure general public opinion on food
insecurity, including food access, nutrition, cultural attitudes, and prevalence of the issue. This
will be a sample of convenience due to geographical and financial constraints limiting us to
greater Wellington.
3.4 Proposed Timeline
To achieve the objectives mentioned above, we have drafted a timeline, as seen in the
Gantt Chart below. We believe that adhering to this timeline will allow us to complete our
objectives, while still providing ample time to properly conduct our research strategies. This
schedule also provides a degree of flexibility, in the case of unforeseen obstacles to our initial
plan.
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Figure 8: Proposed timeline for methods
17
4. Conclusion
Food Insecurity is a global issue with wide reaching implications for the populations it
affects. Lack of access to food can have a debilitating impact on the economy, culture, and
society of a nation. New Zealand, as a developed nation with high agricultural output, may not
seem like a country where food insecurity is a problem; however, we hope that this project will
demonstrate that even a country with an advanced economy and infrastructure can be affected by
food insecurity. In conducting our assessment, we plan to break stereotypes and assumptions
surrounding this issue and accurately describe the conditions and effects of food insecurity in
New Zealand. As a byproduct of this process, we will be able to share the stories of the people
directly affected by Food insecurity, bringing a human element to our research and beginning an
open conversation on the issue. We also will have the opportunity to use the information we
gather to make project recommendations for future Wellington IQPs, which opens the possibility
for even more detailed approaches to researching the issue. We are creating a research
foundation for future students to tackle this problem in depth, and we hope to act as trailblazers
toward a future where food insecurity is better understood and mitigated.
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5. References
Abell, S., Correia, K., Fayyaz, R., & Salerno, P. (2014). Fawkner Community House: Solutions
to Decrease the Amount of Food Insecurity in Fawkner, Victoria, Australia. Worcester, MA:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Branch Out Newsletter. (n.d.). Food harvested by Innermost City Garden. photograph,
Wellington. Retrieved from https://wellington.govt.nz/services/community-andculture/community-news-and-events/archived-articles/innermost-gardens-branch-out.
Carlson S., Andrews M., & Bickel G., (1999) Measuring food insecurity and hunger in the
United States: development of a national benchmark measure and prevalence estimates. J
Nutr 129, 510S-516S.
Carter K., Lanumata, T., Kruse, K., & Gorton D. (2010) What are the determinants of food
insecurity in New Zealand and does this differ for males and females? Aust NZ J Public
Health 34, 602-608.
FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, & WHO. (2019). The state of food security and nutrition in the
world 2019. Rome: FAO. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-of-foodsecurity-and-nutrition-2019.
Food Security in New Zealand. (2018, March 14). The Standard
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(2011). A focus on nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/09. New Zealand Adult Nutrition
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6. Appendices
6.1 Appendix A- Sample Interview Questions
Government Interviews:
● Can you define what you believe “food insecurity” to be?
● How is your position/office addressing this issue? Do you consider it a priority?
● What are some of the current issues that you encounter regarding food insecurity?
● What policies are currently in place regarding food insecurity?
● Are there any policies currently in the making regarding food insecurity?
● What programs already exist and how much funding do they have?
● What are some of the difficulties in passing new policies regarding this issue?
● How many (if any) government funded agencies are there that provide food/ needs for food
insecure people?
● (If talking to representative) would you say that your district is directly affected by food
insecurity?
● Is there anything else you would like to share with me that I haven’t asked?
● What are some hidden indicators of food insecurity in your district?
● What would an ideal policy look like to you?
NGO/Employee Interviews:
● Are you a volunteer? Employee?
● (If employee) What perspectives do you bring to this job? Why did you decide to work in food
security (or whatever else the mission is?)
● (If volunteer) Why do you volunteer?
● How many hours per week do you spend aiding this organization?
● Do you volunteer with any other organizations?
● How long has this organization been established?
● How many people come here on a daily basis?
● Do you think that this location serves a consistent group, or are there many new faces?
● What are the people’s attitudes like who come here?
● What are the biggest challenges facing food insecure clients?
● What changes would you like to see at the national level? The local level?
● What are hidden indicators of food insecurity here?
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6.2 Appendix B - Sample Survey Questions
Food Bank Recipient Survey:
This is a voluntary survey about Food access and preparation.
Survey Title: Food Access Questionnaire
1. How many people are in your household?
__________________
2. Are you currently employed?
Yes
No
3. Where do you get your food from? Circle all that apply:
Grocery Store Food Bank
Convenient Store
Restaurants
other:______________
4. How often do you go to these places a week?
5.
6.
7.
8.
5.
______________________________
What would you eat if you had ideal access to food?
________________________________________
What services could enable that option?
_________________________________
Do you grow/ catch your own food?
_____________________________________________
Do you support the food supply for others in your family or neighborhood?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Do you believe you have a healthy diet?
Yes
No
6. What do you typically eat in a day?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. How many times a week do you buy fast food?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8. How many times a week do you cook?
_______________________________
9. If you cook, how many people do you cook for?
__________________
10. If you do cook, what do you typically make?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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11. How much money do you spend per week on groceries?
_____________________________________
Demographics:
Age:________
Gender:
Male
Background:
Female
Pakeha/European
Māori
Asian
Pacific Islander
Thanks for filling out the survey! If you have any comments or questions regarding this survey, please
contact ____
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