Te Pāti Māori revealed its $3.1 billion Kai Sovereignty Policy, with it giving a $100 million commitment to seed Māori-owned supermarket and retail alternatives, if elected.
Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke announced the policy at the Te Kāpata Kai o Kirikiriroa social supermarket in Hamilton, unveiling a package aimed at reshaping domestic food distribution and providing immediate cost-of-living relief.
Maipi-Clarke said that in a country that feeds the world, whānau being unable to afford basic kai is an intolerable contradiction.
“Aotearoa produces huge amounts of food, yet too many of our whānau are still struggling to put kai on the table,” says Maipi-Clarke. “That is not a shortage of food. It is a failure of the system.”
The policy package features $100 million in seed funding dedicated specifically to establishing Māori-owned supermarket chains and retail alternatives.
The wider policy package includes:
- $100 million in seed funding for Māori-owned supermarket and retail alternatives.
- $100 million for a Community Kai Fund targeting home gardens, marae māra kai, and community food farms.
- $100 million directed toward regenerative Māori agriculture and diversified whenua-based production.
- An Income Tax Kai Credit providing up to eight weeks of kai a year for people earning $60,000 or less.
- Enhanced protection for Māori seeds, mātauranga, and indigenous plant whakapapa.
Maipi-Clarke said Māori continue to bear the brunt of high food prices despite driving the country’s primary production sector.
“Māori and specifically here in Hauraki-Waikato, are first to feed the motu, but the last to eat at the table.”
Breaking the Supermarket Duopoly
According to Willie Te Aho, Te Pāti Māori Vice-President Tāne, the announcement opens the door for iwi and local communities to unite against the existing corporate duopoly.
“Investing in supermarkets and alternatives to the duopoly that we have now. It’s about ensuring that we work in with iwi and other community groups to use those spaces within those communities.”
The policy highlights the stark contrast between domestic food insecurity and export volumes, noting that approximately 95 percent of milk and more than 80 percent of meat produced in New Zealand are exported.
Food Policies From All Major Parties
Te Pāti Māori’s proposals enter a crowded political field where other parties have also pitched supermarket and food price policies:
- Greens: Proposing KiwiMart, a publicly owned supermarket chain, alongside a $150m-a-year Fair Food Fund.
- National: Proposing structural separation to split PAK’nSAVE from New World and Four Square.
- NZ First: Campaigning to break up the supermarket duopoly.
- ACT: Pushing for an “Express Lane” to fast-track new supermarkets and expand retail competition.
- Labour: Proposing to split Foodstuffs and Woolworths from their wholesale arms
