Wellbeing Waikato (and Waikato Wellbeing Project) has had food security as a major focus from 2022. We have produced overall reports on the state of food security in the region, completed the region’s first foodshed assessment and undertook research on the lived experience of kai motuhake and its relationship with whanau wellbeing with Ngati Maniapoto, focused on Te Kuiti[3]. To support this work, we committed resource to contract a Kai Champion, initially Dr Amber Hammill and more recently Hera Denton.
In 2025 with GoEco, we convened an initial mini kai summit at the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development. The mini summit tested the appetite for a more significant Waikato Kai summit, which was subsequently held in Hamilton in May this year. The full summit was attended by at least 150 people. More information on the summit was provided in the July newsletter. GoEco are now continuing the Kai Challenge using their own funding and it is a permanent part of their overall work programme.
As part of our MoU and funding agreement with GoEco, a final achievement report was received. The key points from the report include:
The Waikato Kai Challenge shows that kai motuhake already exists across Waikato in the everyday practice of whānau, hapū, growers and hāpori — and that meaningful progress comes from trust‑based, relationship‑led engagement, not traditional output‑driven contracts.
Go Eco’s role as a place‑based, Tiriti‑centred connector enabled the region to surface existing strengths, build capability, and shift the regional conversation from charitable food redistribution toward localised, whānau‑led kai systems.
The work demonstrates that macro food security indicators miss lived “enoughness”, where whānau maintain food dignity through māra, mahinga kai and reciprocity.
Over eighteen months, Go Eco convened growers, hapū, funders and councils through hui, wānanga and two Kai Symposiums, validating lived experience as evidence and strengthening regional networks.
The mahi continues through philanthropic funding, showing confidence in Go Eco’s trusted relationships and its ability to carry systems‑level change forward beyond the contract period.
We sincerely thank GoEco, especially Jo Wrigley and Hera Denton, for their ongoing leadership partnership and support, and look forward to further opportunities to advance our shared kai security and kai motuhake goals.
