enhancing food security and physical activity for maori, pacific and ...

Enhancing Food Security and Physical Activity for Māori, Pacific and Low-income Peoplesdemonstration sites for sustainable and environmentally-friendly gardening practices.Local councils also need to work in partnership with the community to support andencourage community gardens.From experiences in Scotland, people involved with community gardens identified that tobe successful the gardens must be meaningful, functional, accessible, and attractive,and need to create a feeling of ownership. 17 The community, project partners, andfunders need to be involved throughout the project from inception to ongoingmanagement.Potential side effectsCommunity gardens can have positive side effects such as empowerment, communitydevelopment, and improved health and wellbeing. If the resources and opportunities forskill development are provided, and participants’ have significant and meaningful controlover resources and decision-making, participants can gain a real increase in socialpower and self-determination. 7Positive social and health outcomes were demonstrated by youth involved in communitygardening projects in the US. Those involved in community gardens were more willingto eat nutritious food and try different foods, had a stronger appreciation for otherindividuals and cultures, and were more likely to cook and garden than youth notinvolved in the programme. 18Cost-benefit analysisA US Department of Agriculture programme which funded 23 community gardens foundthat for every $1 of funding, $6 of food was produced through the garden. 7Results: Community and farmers’ marketsUse locally and internationallyFarmers’ markets are re-emerging in New Zealand and around the world, having19 20previously been displaced by supermarkets in many countries. There are nowaround 40 official farmers’ markets operating in New Zealand, and many more ‘unofficial’markets (which are not part of Farmer’s Market NZ Association) or community markets.Farmers’ markets are places where local growers sell their produce direct to consumers.These differ to community markets, where fresh produce may be sold which is notnecessarily locally grown or sold by the producer. Farmers’ markets often operate as apremium or boutique supplier of produce, while community markets are often more costfocused.To address food security, markets (either farmers or community markets) inlow-income communities must be cost-focused. In the literature, the focus is on farmers’markets. The resurgence of interest in farmers’ markets is led by increasing desire forlocal, sustainable food sources and the ‘slow food’ movement. They are oftenpositioned as an alternative to the dominant food system.Internationally, farmers’ markets are on the increase. Britain now has more than 400, 20and in the US there are over 4,600 farmers’ markets. 21 In British Columbia, Canadathere are more than 100 farmers’ markets ranging from large, sheltered public marketsto a few farmers’ trucks parked up in a specific location. 687