Most New Zealanders are feeling the effects of a seemingly relentless rise in the cost of living – at the supermarket, the petrol pump and in their household energy bills. For some, however, this tips over into what scholars call “food insecurity”.

Perhaps the best way to define this is to look at the internationally accepted definition of its opposite – food security.

This exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.

Unfortunately, based on data from the Food Insecurity Experience Scale used by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, New Zealand has seen a clear upward trend in food insecurity.

After falling to 10% in 2015, the rate of moderate or severe food insecurity rose sharply, reaching more than 17% (about 900,000 people) in recent years. And severe food insecurity increased from about 3% in 2014 to around 4% (about 200,000 people) recently.

These figures tell us two things: food insecurity in New Zealand is not a marginal issue, it affects a significant share of the population and the problem is persistent.

Even with fluctuations, the general trend has been upward. The COVID-19........

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