Interviews with stakeholders in deprived Hawke’s Bay schools early in the COVID-19 lockdown documented exacerbated food insecurity among school whānau. Our enquiry highlights the support role played by well-informed teacher aides and school–whānau networks, which were easily and inexpensively resourced, intuitive, proactive and collaborative, ensuring whānau access to appropriate support according to need. We expect our findings to further inform such initiatives in any further lockdown.

This article discusses the findings of a pilot project on food security, food sovereignty, nutrition and health conducted with a small Māori group based in Whakatāne. The article, concerned with healthy lifestyles and Māori access to affordable and nutritional food, discusses a community-based response and points to the necessity of a multifaceted, comprehensive national plan to address Māori food insecurity.