Making Cents

NZ Food Prices: What The Supermarket Debate Is Missing

Making Cents

Show Notes

We grow enough food in New Zealand to feed 40 million people - eight times our own population. So why does your weekly grocery bill feel like it’s eating your entire paycheque?

Angela Clifford, CEO of Eat New Zealand, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to unpack why our food model feels broken and how everyday eaters hold the power to fix it. Living on a North Canterbury permaculture farm where her family produces roughly 80% of what they consume, Angela explains why "community sufficiency" beats pure self-reliance, and what simple shifts we can make this week to cut costs and take back control of our food.

In this episode: Feeding 40 million vs food insecurity: why a third of Kiwi families are struggling to put food on the table The financialisation of food: how a system meant to feed us became focused on shareholder returns Why Kiwi farmers are price-takers, not price-makers, and why the current model doesn't work for growers either Offshoring our staples: the reality of shipping local fish overseas to be crumbed and sent back Why fresh food from farmers' markets, local butchers, and green grocers is often cheaper than the supermarket Resisting the convenience trap: why frictionless delivery apps and supermarket AI cost you more How to "find your food people" Why New Zealand needs a dedicated Food Minister and a national food security strategy

Whether you are trying to trim your grocery budget or want to know where your food actually comes from, this episode breaks down practical steps to help you take control of your plate and your money on your own terms.

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to http://odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

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Production and video editing by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Filmed by Fanaticals

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