The ability to source locally grown, affordable fresh fruit and vegetables is how most people want to live. When we can source locally grown food, it contains more nutrients (from being able to ripen naturally), allowing us to eat in harmony with the seasons. Locally grown food supports the local economy and benefits the environment by reducing carbon emissions from travel distance.
The current cost of living crisis, coupled with how the Government has designed our food system to rely on global and national supply chains and the supermarket duopoly means many of us can’t afford fresh fruit and vegetables to feed our families. People continue to feel the pinch at the checkout, with recent statistics from Stats NZ shows the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables has increased 20% in the past year alone.
People in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand are redesigning their local food systems so that it can work for everyone’s needs. In West Auckland, Perfectly Imperfect Pop-Up is a partnership between Re Creators, Foodtogether, Massey Matters and Healthy Families Waitākere. The partnership is bringing ‘perfectly imperfect’ fresh fruit and vegetable bags to people across the rohe for $15 each. Sophie Bond, Foodtogether Communications Manager, continues.
“The concept sees local market gardeners and producers selling their ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ produce to us at Foodtogether, which we then put in our produce bags to sell on to the people of West Auckland at an affordable price. We’re a social enterprise with a focus on helping the people and the planet and Perfectly Imperfect Pop-Up stores enables us to do this.”
Since starting the initiative just over a month ago, sales regularly average 100 a week. The collective are currently investigating ways to scale the enterprise to reach more people and include more local farmers and producers.
For more information on Foodtogether, visit here.
