The New Zealand Government has set a target of tripling the country’s food and beverage exports over the next 15 years.  However there is very little been done at a local level to increase local food production so that local demand for food from local growers and farmers can be reduced, freeing up valuable exports.

There is a lot to be said for a local food system that forms a collaborative network, integrating sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management.

Communities taking responsibility for their own food production, organising food hubs around co-ops and farmer’s markets will become increasingly important as our cities rural economies are squeezed to accommodate the growing demands of rapid population growth.