 |
||||||
|
|
|
|||||
Mahi Māngai
|
||||||
|
Latest Research Points to Solutions for Food Security The Enhance study, commissioned in 2007 by the Health Research Council of New Zealand in partnership with the Ministry of Health, investigated how to improve economic and physical access to healthy food and increase physical activity.
Up to a third of Maori households with children struggle to feed their whanau. This is unacceptable.
There is no-one solution to improving food security These are complex solutions and this research suggests a range of solutions. For example teaching people how to cook with cheaper ingredients will not work if people do not have enough income to afford the food in the first instance.
The research suggests subsiding healthy food for low-income people by the use of SMART card rather than the more general approach of reducing GST of food.
Other options suggested included greater regulations of 'fringe lenders' or loan sharks. 'We know many whanau end up in a cycle of debt by using the unregulated high interest easy credit options that target low income families'
To increase physical activity for Maori, the research also suggests a range of options, including increasing access to culturally-specific physical activity programmes for example Kapa Haka or Mau-rakau, and incorporating Tikanga Maori into sport and physical activity programmes to promote uptake and retention.
'Even considerations like the use of karakia before a game, used appropriately can raise the level of participation of Maori in a given activity' says Leonie Matoe
www.tehotumanawa.org.nz/Documents/file/Final%20report_The%20Enhance%20Book.pdf |
||||||
 |
||||||
