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Food
Ā tātou pūnaha kai Our food system
Our food system is based on a linear take-make-waste model where soil nutrients and natural resources are often depleted during food production and processing (take-make) and nutrient rich food resources are discarded in landfills (waste).
Growing and distributing food
Our food production is dependant on fossil fuel from the production of inorganic fertilisers through to the processing and distribution of food.
Food travels great distances, and many communities experience unhealthy food environments with good access to poor food and poor access to good food.
Quality of soil
Low soil carbon and soil nutrient loss occurs particularly in Auckland’s intensive food growing areas. This has led to elevated levels of nutrients in ground and surface water.
Some farmers are moving toward regenerative farming practices that promote healthy soils Contain an abundance of life (especially microorganisms) and the right balance of organic matter and nutrients, which contribute to a balanced ecosystem and supports healthy, vigorous plant growth. that are more resilient to weather events, sequester carbon The net removal, by natural or artificial processes, of carbon from the atmosphere, and storage in carbon sinks - plants, oceans, soils., minimise nutrient leaching The process of soil nutrients, such as nitrate, moving downward beyond the plant root zone in percolating water or being removed from soil in drainage from saturated soils. Leached nutrients cause pollution., and increase biodiversity The natural environment and encompasses native plants and animals (flora and fauna), ecology, natural heritage, ecological restoration and revegetation, landforms, geology., food nutrition and crop yield.
Food waste produces emissions
Food waste produces emissions when landfilled, but also represents unnecessary upstream emissions The production and discharge of something e.g. the production and discharge of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.and resource consumption that occurs during production, processing, and distribution of that food.
While some food waste is prevented, redistributed or composted, much of it still ends up in landfill.
Aucklanders send 100,000 tonnes of food waste to landfill each year in household kerbside collection, while nationally cafés and restaurants are responsible for 24,000 tonnes and supermarkets for 14,000 tonnes annually.