Mana kai initiative – the purpose and values of New Zealand’s food system

The report sets out a Te Ao Māori–led framework to guide the future of Aotearoa New Zealand’s food system. It highlights the system’s dual role in feeding communities and contributing materially to national economic prosperity. It notes tensions between environmental protection, cultural wellbeing, health outcomes and economic imperatives, and identifies the need for a shared purpose and values base to guide decision-making.

The mana kai framework: the food system we aspire to

The framework integrates three core components—Mana o te Taiao, Mana o te Tangata and Mana Kai—emphasising environmental regeneration, fair food distribution and sustenance. It sets objectives across areas including biodiversity protection by 2030, improved water quality by 2040, reduced ultra-processed food consumption (2% annually), halved food waste by 2030, and eliminating food poverty by 2035. The framework links cultural values with contemporary food system goals.

The process we have followed

Over 30 dialogue sessions and an online survey (250+ participants; 1,500 comments) were used to gather perspectives. The initiative emerged from the Fenwick Forum (2020), which recommended developing a national food strategy following increased food insecurity during COVID-19. A leadership group, supported by KPMG and AGMARDT, commissioned a Te Ao Māori framing and held kōrero across the food system.

Why was now the right time for a kōrero on the purpose and values of our food system?

COVID-19 highlighted structural vulnerabilities, including a sharp rise in food insecurity (estimated up to 33% above the pre-pandemic 15% rate). Increased living costs and pressure on domestic supply underscored inequities. Environmental stresses were also noted, including 192 million tonnes of soil loss annually, over 80% of native land vertebrates threatened, and agricultural emissions representing 48% of national greenhouse gases. These developments demonstrated the need for systemic change.

Mana kai: a te ao māori framing for Aotearoa New Zealand’s food system

The framing draws on Atua (spiritual connection), Tuakana/Teina (humans as junior to nature) and Ngā Nuinga (ensuring abundance for all). It positions food as a source of mana, connecting environmental care with societal wellbeing. Mana Kai emphasises responsibility to protect the environment so it can, in turn, sustain people.

What we heard during the dialogues

Participants consistently called for regenerative production, equitable food access, and improved nutrition and health outcomes. Many noted two parallel food systems: a high-quality export system and a less resilient domestic one. Contributors raised concerns about inadequate data, limited nutrition knowledge, food affordability pressures, and reliance on imported foods of variable quality. Issues such as land-use change, innovation gaps, supply-chain fragility, and the impacts of export dependence were also highlighted.

The values that underpin our food system explored

The report discusses each value in detail:

• Tuakana/Teina (Mana o te Taiao): Emphasis on environmental regeneration, regulatory clarity and improved incentives for nature-positive practices.
• Atua: Focus on protecting mauri in food, limiting unnecessary processing, and ensuring quality from production to consumption.
• Ngā Nuinga: Ensuring equitable access to nutritious food, halving food waste by 2030, and strengthening community-led food security initiatives.
• Mātauranga: Integrating indigenous knowledge and world-class science, encouraging biotechnology discussions, and increasing innovation investment to at least 2% of producer-gate value.
• Manaakitanga: Ensuring no food poverty by 2035 and strengthening the hospitality sector’s role in community wellbeing.
• Rangatiratanga: Improving governance capability, ensuring diversity of leadership, and embedding Te Tiriti principles in food system governance.
• Ohaoha: Supporting economic prosperity, creating 25,000 new “future fit” jobs by 2030, and increasing export value by 25% through Mana Kai-aligned production.

Tikanga: Developing a national tikanga code and celebrating food culture through an annual Matariki food festival.

Hauora: Improving health outcomes through sustainable eating guidelines by 2030, and reducing obesity, malnutrition and food insecurity by half by 2030.

Actions to accelerate towards the food system we aspire to

The report identifies eight priority actions: establishing the Mana Kai Pou; a community food platform; mission-led science; healthy-sustainable eating guidelines; enhanced food-in-schools programmes; ocean-legacy initiatives; a national biotechnology conversation; and pathways for regenerative farming.

What comes next for mana kai?

The report proposes a national movement rather than a formal entity, encouraging organisations and individuals to opt in, make verifiable pledges, and collaborate to advance system change aligned with the Mana Kai framework.