The New Zealand Nutrition Foundation will close its doors in April after 45 years of operation due to a lack of funding.

Despite every effort to secure further funds, the board of the NZ Nutrition Foundation has come to the difficult decision to shut down which will also affect its popular Just Cook programme. That will conclude in March unless new funding can be secured, or a new organisation steps up to take over the delivery of the programme.

The NZ Nutrition Foundation has been providing independent evidence-based information, programmes, advocacy, and services to enable New Zealanders to enjoy nutritious foods since 1980.

Board Chair Niki Russell says it is closing at a time when it is needed now more than ever. “It’s particularly gut wrenching to take this action when our work is so vital and in demand. It comes at a time when the most recent NZ Health Survey shows food insecurity is at an all- time high and one in four children live in households where food runs out often or sometimes.

“We are incredibly grateful to our funders and supporters who have helped our programme numbers to grow, but sadly we cannot secure the additional $100,000 per annum that’s needed for the organisation to stay open and moving forward.”

Russell says much of the Foundations’ recent focus has been helping people in vulnerable communities to eat well. That includes delivering a practical Just Cook programme that helps New Zealanders find the motivation and confidence to cook at home. They are hands-on cooking sessions that teach families and older adults how to cook nutritious meals for less. The programme has impacted over 8,000 people since it began in 2017.

The Foundation is now seeking to hand over its online education and programmes to another organisation in the hope they can live on.

“We know the importance and value of our programmes. They genuinely help people to increase their independence around feeding whanau in the long term. It would be wonderful if the programmes could live on even if they can no longer be delivered by the Foundation,” says Russell.

Anyone interested in providing funding or running the Foundation’s Just Cook programme can contact Jane Bollard at CEO@nutritionfoundation.org.nz.

Notes:

• The recent Salvation Army State of the Nation report shows falling living standards across the country. • Stats NZ figures show some 150,000 children live in material hardship where their families cannot afford the basics.

• https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/annual-update-of-key-results-202324-new-zealand-health-survey • One in four children live in households where food runs out.

· One in four children (27.0%) lived in households where food ran out often or sometimes [1] in the 12 months prior to the 2023/24 survey. This is higher than the previous year (21.3% in 2022/23).

· One in two Pacific (54.8%) and one in three Māori (34.3%) children were living in households where food ran out often or sometimes in the 12 months prior to the 2023/24 survey. This compares to one in five European/Other (21.9%) and one in six Asian (17.1%) children.

· In 2023/24, 26.1% of children lived in households where, in the past year, they often or sometimes ate less because of lack of money. This is higher than the previous year.

(20.3% in 2022/23). For Pacific children, this increased from 35.6% in 2022/23, to 53.0% in 2023/24. · Rates of each of these two food insecurity indicators [2] were higher in households where children were Māori, Pacific, disabled, or living in the most deprived neighbourhoods. [1] This indicator was included in the annual Child Poverty Related Indicators Report produced by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).

·Nearly 1.5 million adults are classified as obese.

· In 2023/24, 62.9% of children and 31.2% of adults were of a healthy weight, which is similar to previous years.

· One in three adults (33.8% or nearly 1.5 million) were classified as obese in 2023/24, up from 31.3% (1.25 million) in 2018/19.

· One in eight children aged 2–14 years (12.5%) were classified as obese in 2023/24, compared to 11.4% five years ago.

· Nearly half of adults (47.8%) living in the most deprived neighbourhoods were classified as obese, compared to 25.7% of adults living in the least deprived neighbourhoods.

·One in 11 adults meet vegetable intake guidelines.

· In 2023/24, nearly half of adults (47.1%) ate the recommended amount of fruit (2+ servings per day).

· One in 11 adults (9.1%) ate the recommended amount of vegetables (5 to 6 servings, depending on age and gender).

· Among children aged 2–14 years, 70.5% ate the recommended amount of fruit (1 to 2 servings, depending on age).

· 8.2% of children aged 2–14 years ate the recommended amount of vegetables (2.5 to 5.5 servings, depending on age and gender).

· Over half of children aged four months to less than five years at the time of the survey (55.7%) were exclusively breastfed until four months old.

· The proportion of children eating breakfast everyday has declined over the last five years, from 84.5% in 2018/19 to 78.2% in 2023/24.

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