Te Pāti Māori unveils $3.1 billion kai sovereignty plan

Te Pāti Māori has unveiled a $3.1 billion ‘kai sovereignty’ plan aimed at transitioning New Zealand from food dependency to Māori-led food production and ownership. The policy seeks to address cost-of-living pressures and food insecurity by investing in community-led initiatives and Māori-owned infrastructure.

The most significant fiscal component is a proposed ‘Income Tax Kai Credit’ for individuals earning $60,000 or less. Estimated to cost $2.8 billion, the credit would provide the equivalent of up to eight weeks of food annually for approximately three million people.

Additional pillars of the plan include:

• A $100 million Community Kai Fund to support home gardens, marae māra kai, and community farms. • $100 million in seed funding to establish Māori-owned supermarket chains and support regenerative farming. • $100 million for agricultural innovation to assist small, diversified Māori farms. • The establishment of an independent Māori Kai Sovereignty Board with statutory powers. • The development of a Māori Seed Conservation Strategy and increased protections for Māori intellectual property and food licensing.

MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke stated that the current system is a failure, noting that while Aotearoa produces vast amounts of food, many families struggle to afford groceries. The party aims to reduce reliance on corporate-controlled food chains and food parcels by empowering whānau to grow and own their food systems.