Forty-four community-led initiatives across Tai Tokerau are set to share more than $170,000 in funding through this year’s Kai Ora Fund, supporting projects aimed at strengthening local food security, sustainability and community wellbeing.
The Kai Ora Fund received 71 applications in 2026, with successful projects ranging from māra kai and environmental restoration programmes to food education workshops and community-led initiatives focused on sustainable food production.
Fund partners say the strong response reflects growing community interest in local food resilience as Northland families continue to face rising living costs and increasing pressure on household budgets.
Among the new recipients is Pasifika Navigators in the Far North, which will deliver workshops focused on planting, caring for and harvesting culturally significant food sources including taro and bananas. The project aims to reconnect Pasifika whānau with traditional food-growing practices while improving self-sufficiency and reducing food costs.
The fund is also backing WithIN Nature Charitable Trust, which will expand its community composting and soil regeneration work at an established nature-based learning site and māra kai in Kawakawa.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Kai Ora Fund has distributed more than $1 million to over 300 grassroots projects throughout Tai Tokerau, helping communities develop local solutions to food access and sustainability challenges.
The fund’s primary goal is to enable Northlanders to access nutritious, sustainably sourced local food, while supporting environmental stewardship and community resilience.
The initiative is delivered through a partnership involving Mahitahi Hauora, government agencies, local councils, community organisations and Foundation North, reflecting a collaborative approach to addressing food security across the region.
As food costs continue to challenge many households, supporters say investments in locally driven food projects will help strengthen community wellbeing, increase food sovereignty and build long-term resilience for whānau throughout Tai Tokerau.
