OFN chairwoman Robyn Zink told The Star the organisation had received responses from 27 of the 54 candidates for Dunedin City Council (DCC) to its survey, circulated in August. This included three sitting councillors.
It had also received responses from nine of the 19 candidates for Otago Regional Council (ORC), including three sitting councillors.
The survey asked two questions:
• Do you think it is important to have a strong local food system that supports wellbeing, is mana enhancing, improves environmental outcomes and community resilience?
• What role do you think the DCC and/or ORC have in a food strategy supporting a strong local food system?
Ms Zink said all of the candidates who responded agreed that it was important to have a strong local food system.
Reasons given included access to healthy food for all people, and resilience in the face of the changing climate and increasing supply chain disruptions.
More locally produced food was seen as a way to reduce carbon emissions and food waste, both key elements of mitigating climate change.
Other common themes that emerged among candidates was that food was a basic human right, a strong local food system helped to support community wellbeing and employment.
Ms Zink said it was heartening to see that candidates recognising food as a basic human right, and its link to community wellbeing.
"... Many candidates have a good understanding of the importance of food sustainability and security," Ms Zink said.
In response to the second question, candidates said both DCC and ORC had land management responsibilities and protecting highly productive soil from urban development was identified as a key function of both councils.
Some candidates suggested that DCC land that is not utilised for parks or recreation could be made available for growing food.
The development of a regional food strategy was seen as an important step in creating a resilient local food system.
Providing access for groups to use parks land that was "mow only" could have a positive effect both on food production and biodiversity, she said.
Ms Zink said the full responses were worth reading as voters were making their choices about which candidates to vote for.
"It is a very useful tool for getting an understanding of who’s thoughts and values align with your own."
To view the candidates’ responses, visit www.ourfoodnetwork.org.nz
• Our Food Network Dunedin will present "Digging In: Feeding Otepoti through the years" in at Josephine Foyer at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum on Sunday, October 5.
The public programme will run from 10am-2pm, and will include family-friendly interactive food-related activities from 10am-noon, followed by stories of how communities fed themselves in the past from 12.30pm-2pm.
