In January 2023, the New Zealand Minister of Health commissioned the Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC) to prepare advice on the food ‘system’: all of the structures and processes between the production of food and eating or drinking it.

For public health, food is pivotal for building health, preventing disease, and supporting recovery. However, the health and wellbeing of people is not being prioritised within the current food system and many New Zealanders do not have access to nutritious food in sufficient quantity.

This independent report, prepared by the PHAC and published by the Ministry of Health, takes a public health focus, looking at changes to the food system that could help improve the health and wellbeing of people of New Zealand.

To help inform its work, the PHAC engaged with a range of key stakeholders in both the food and health systems, including non-government groups, industry, government agencies and academics.

The report provides five broad recommendations divided into 13 specific recommendations.

Broad recommendations:

1. That those involved in shaping our food system create and/or further develop a unified food system for all New Zealanders.
2. That those involved in supporting the food system enable local communities including iwi and Pacific communities to ensure that local parts of the food system meet their needs and aspirations.
3. That central and local government take action and use legislation, policy and regulation levers to create and foster healthy food environments for all New Zealanders.
4. That those involved in the food system take action to ensure all New Zealanders have secure access to enough good food.
5. That those involved in shaping the food system ensure that the work of transforming the food system is accompanied by a programme of data collection, research, monitoring and surveillance.