Abstract
Food banks began in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 1980s and experienced a rapid rise from the early 1990s because of significant neoliberal reforms. Food banks and latterly “food rescue” organisations have become a normalised part of the landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand and play a significant role in meeting the food needs of those experiencing food poverty. This thesis contributes to understanding why food banks and food rescue organisations exist and their social and political impact, particularly in Dunedin/Ōtepoti. It explores how food banks and FoodShare, Dunedin/Ōtepoti’s food rescue organisation, came to exist and how they work. It tells the story through the eyes of the organisations that operate them. It also examines what mechanisms existed historically to address food poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand and the way in which the development of these mechanisms was influenced by what existed in the English and Scottish homelands of the European settlers. This study is also important as it provides insight into how the past influences the present and it links this thinking to the socio-political ideologies of the time.
A qualitative research strategy was applied to this study including a review of the relevant literature and Dunedin/Ōtepoti newsprint media along with a comparative case study method and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data.
The findings of this site-specific research underline the complex and conflicted space in which food banks and FoodShare operate and the socio-political influences on their existence. It became apparent that the rise of food banks in Dunedin/Ōtepoti reflected the global explanations, but that their ad hoc growth resulted in the development of a unique character. The conclusion drawn is that the mechanisms for addressing food poverty in Dunedin/Ōtepoti are undergoing a paradigm shift. A new era is emerging with the potential for these mechanisms to be more inclusive in their operations of those experiencing food poverty and to also continue the social justice focus with which food banks began in Dunedin/Ōtepoti.