Ka Ora Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches Petition

Let's get more kids in Aotearoa a healthy meal at school and kura to help them learn, play and grow.

In Aotearoa, families are struggling to juggle the rising cost of living, especially the cost of healthy food. This is affecting even parents and caregivers on middle incomes, who have never experienced food insecurity before.

Everybody deserves the right to a healthy, affordable diet – including growing children who need healthy kai to nourish their bodies and brains. Studies have shown healthy food helps kids learn[1] and helps their mood and behaviour.[2] Providing a variety of school lunches educates kids about different healthy foods and food cultures.[3]

It’s one less thing for whānau to have to worry about, knowing that every school day ensures one square healthy meal.

“It’s a big help money-wise… it just takes a lot of pressure off, especially in the morning when you’re trying to get the kids ready and out the door.” – Mother of three, Jamie Katene-Taingahue

Reviews of the Ka Ora Ka Ako healthy school lunches programme which is now running successfully in its fourth year have also shown benefits for the community, including increased employment and business for local food providers.[4]

“Now everyone is getting a lunch and those who haven’t previously been able to bring a lunch haven’t been standing out anymore and I think that’s really safe and good for them.” – Ngāti Toa Principal, Kathleen O’Hare

However, the programme is not reaching every child who needs it. Only a quarter of schools can opt in to the programme, because of the strict criteria based on the equity index. That index doesn’t take into account the individual tamariki currently attending each school who might not live in the local area – and a study of the programme showed many ‘middle income’ pupils experience food insecurity. 16% of students surveyed in mid-decile primary schools and 11.7% surveyed in high decile schools had either run out of food at home or had gone to school hungry because there wasn’t enough to eat.[5]

Solving food insecurity in New Zealand for everyone will take a multi-layered approach, coordinated by a much needed national food sovereignty and nutrition strategy. In the meantime, doubling this highly successful program is something the Government can do right now to take the pressure off families, invest in local food suppliers and producers, and back our kids.

Please sign below to show your support.

The following 694 individuals are signatories of this petition:

Boyd Swinburn

Fiona Sing

Sande Gates

Simone Bayer

Danni Maclean

Teresa Thomas

Gabriel Brettkelly

Kerry Allan

Sonya Cameron

Elizabeth Whiting

Emma Hanley

Caroline Renwick

Kate Spackman

Andy Baker

Jade Eggleston

Leonie Henderson

Maryann Michael

Vivian Naylor

Brian Cumber

Emma Watson-Eykel

Marian Stolte

Barbara Dennison

Mariam Parwaiz

Jared Oliver

Catherine Barclay

Sally Marett

Hilary Henderson

Erica Lee

Lucy Denham

Alex Cauble-Chantrenne

Casey Bryant

Jamie Seymour

Julie Carter

Sarah Agar

Janvi Shah

Abigail Tweedie

Sarah Robertson

Fiona Williams

Lucy Danner

Melissa Mathieson

Ruth van Leeuwen

Stacey Birch

Hinako Percival

Chantelle Cunningham

Kaitlyn Payne

Mae Young

Beyning Tey

Kathryn Weir

Talitha Amann

Angela Beros

Aimee Hampton

Megan Brugh

Ana Renker-Darby

Linda Murray

Nick von Randow

Michelle Gray

Isaac Tull

Maia Lingman

Valerie Milne

Victoria Chinn

Claire Smith

Justine Dixon

Zara Buckman

Nathan Hill

Camilla Brotherton

Tash Salter

Lisa Hamilton

Rose Firth-Scott

Fintan Kelly

Shirley Winters

Dubs Rai

Vanessa Wallace

Lisa Mulrooney

Corinne Guthrie

Clair Phillips

Libby Bickley-Barry

Tony Coughlan

Abigail Van Kerkhoff

Sinead Heckett

Jessica Cross

Andrea Harnett

Ching Liu

Venya Chamallamudi

Caroline Cels

Melissa Lloyd

Daniel Merrill

Kate Dawson

Rachael Taylor

Kim Meredith-Jones

Rachael McLanachan

Judith Phillips

Adele Broadbent

Aniva Alano

Susie Ferkins

Janine Williams

Tezhar Paymani

Chris Henderson

Sarah Garner

Ngahuia Barrs

Joyce Bruning

Chrissi Robinson

Tim Hogg

Aimee Dame

Emma Outhwaite

Gina Kelly Habib

Olivia Horrell

Alicis Johnstone

Melissa Reid-Ellis

Deborah Dye-Knighton

Matt Tofia

Greg Codyre

Cath Blacklow

Julie Dawick

Rachel Pedley

Jenny Rawstorn

Lisa Te Morenga

Christina McKerchar

Tara Dymus

Mohammed Islam

Kendra Cox

Tess Parker

John Potter

Margie Mollison

Penny Pollard

Rebekah Phillips

Wendy Harnett

Sue Sexton

Kathleen Ann Henderson

Helen McKenzie

Ken Plowman

Rachel Douglass

Lynda Shanks

Susanne Sewell

Merania Karauria

Gerrit Stolte

Claire Browning

Paul Roberts

Hilary Monteith

Shōmi Yoon

Jennifer Weir

Lana John

Angela Roswita

Sheryl Bolger

Brooke Sanders

Iveta Denton

Natalie Denton

Grant Dixon

Shauni Burke

Cliona Ni Mhurchu

Bridgette Moore

Heather Gadonniex

Tanya Fretz

Crystal Lau

Cheyenne Ākehurst

Tina Peters

Ezra Feau

Emma Frost

Hanna Bourke

Bruce Donkin

Michelle Bruce

Ruby McNamara

Jocelyn Delaney

Catherine Richardson

Tracey Kellett

Vicky Stedman

Amber Wilkinson

Rosemary Cole

Anne-Louise Heath

Margaret Wilkie

Alice Miller

Anne Lian

Alice Barham

Hannah Rapata

Ella Ewens

Kerry Hocquard

Kirvil Searancke

Paula Montofre

Greg Hurley

Rachel King

Wayne Steele

Chris Bascand

Gary O’Brien

Rauru Walker

Rose Murray

Stan Tiatia

Rawiri Wihapi

Jody Otway

Jennifer Lundin

Brenna Sugrue

Deryn Scott

Rosalina Fautua

Briar Nicol

Jess Meates

Tia Ernst

Helen Duffin

Annette Hollis

Rachel Puts

Ngamamaerua Pou

Emma Oliver-Harwood

Caitlin O’Brien

Carly Kidd

Danielle McMurchie

Ruth Robertson

Paula Ashcroft

Paul Jamieson

Nicky Cameron-Dunn

Sonya Dyton

Shane Cunliffe

Jennifer Niven

Tasha Mortimer

Jack Milton

Virginia Braun

Sally Pascoe

Michelle Reid

Rachael Climo

Ursula Savill

Jasmine Mcgregor

Ashlyn Cullimore

Chandra Littlewood

Rebecca Charteris

Grace Shaw

Ron Tustin

Johanna Birrell

Tracey Toshach

Michael Joseph

John Manuel

Elizabeth Patara-Edwards

Errol Mihaere

Gary Rainey

Antonia Crawford

Sally Mackay

Mafi Funaki-Tahifote

Luisa Silailai

Clare Wall

Magda Rosin

Rose Stamm

Shannon Furlong

Gemma Lyness

Erika Ludwig

Jude Fry

Kim O’Hara

Amanda Bill

Joe Khan

Claudine Cabart

Dayle Major

Clair Mills

Kelly Garton

Margaret Symonds

Margaret Davidson

Nicola Moule

Ann Hall

Jan Dobson

Judy Burgers

Andrew Boor

Leah Dodd

Stacey Loibl

Emily Walker

Leanne Young

Nikki Renall

Emma Shields

Tanja Bristow

Manisha Chandra

Katie Siueva

Melissa-Jade Gregan

Bridget Forsyth

Sarah Todd

Susan Danford

Patrick Fischer-Reid

Abbie Read

Krystyn Jensen

Kate Markman

Josephine Hagan

Sue Emirali

Celine Claridge

Larissa Fernandes

Andrew Wood

Douglas Higgins

Sally McAra

Thomas Kay

Barbara Sandeman

Benjamin Hughes

Sarah Robinson

Emma Barrett

Elizabeth Rainbow

Lesley Savage

Lupe Suniula

Kat Hammond

Athena Phillips

Alice Walker

Juliet Kane

Jennifer Lawless

Di Meenken

Wendy Scanlon

JoAnne Taitoko

Jonathan Cara

Erana Boyd

Nicola Ratima

Yvonne Ball

Rob Campbell

Carol Sanford

Lily Jia

Ann Desmond

Breahn Stubbs

Margot Johansson

Victoria Jones

Suzanne Ardern

Berit Follong

Darrio Penetito-Hemara

Stephanie Shen

Barbara Lusk

Terry Fleming

Rachel Eyre

Kirstin Lindberg

Karen Reader

Martin Villanueva

Penelope Milsom

Adele Jefferies

Jill Haszard

Tina Sialemisa

Stacey Wilson

Dominic Tester

Kerry Hawkins

Alex Ngarotata

Grace Gemmell

Andrea Devane

Keleigh Atkins

Angela Lowe

Erin Cusack

Melissa Jackson

Gina Smith

Kiri Wilson

Meri Blakey

Martin Madden

Amos Pilgrim

Jessica Campfens

Leandro Piantelli

Catherine Tyrrell

Donna Nee

Hayley Leckie

Rachael Coll

Mia Wilson

Adele Croucher

Jessie Powell

Jodie Shirley

Bayley McOnie

Wikus Swanepoel

Sarah McCord

Jesse Lee

Monika Riddell

Karla Mitchell

Julia Frater

Tim Lovelock

Brad Cotton

Nicola Gillies

Lis Stevenson

Abbie Cooper

Liz Driver

Liam Connolly

Hannah Rewiri

Rhiannon Coochey

Candace Vazey

Rebecca MacRae

Ngarewa Morar

Penelope Scott

Anne Kauika

Hannah Booth

Mukuka Musowa

Kevin Ikin

Rose Symes

Vivienne Goldsmith

Michelle Picard

Kerri Dewson

Louise Signal

Cristina Cleghorn

Victoria Egli

Karen McIlhone

Rob Beaglehole

Amanda Brien

Andrew Hornblow

Penny Evans

Jessica Walker

Caroline Sévilla

Te Mihinga Komene

Penelope Smith

Carol Johnson

Phillippa Martin

Marianne Pettigrew

Tamari McKay

Yann Ransinan

Marion Wood

Renate Oosterdijk

Roslyn Smith

Beth Lew

Linda O’Brien

Jessie Balding

Nat Deane

Margaret Street

Wendy Findlay

Fernando Rodrigues

Martina Courtier

Eleanor Kane

Nicola Hibbs

Natasha Waldvogel

Alika Cathro

Hope Beach

Breanna Edge-Woodall

Emma Van Berkel

Tegan McGowan

Susan Stanford

Deanna Foster

Mat Allen

Shanon Tait

Holly Wilson

Michelle Conland

Gil Sandford

Mary Gose

Natalie Amersfoort

Elisa Mendez Weiss

Carola Young

Marilyn Wilkinson

Rebecca Dent

Helen Eyles

Sapphire Middleton

Elti Sannyasi

Te Ara Bell

Chelsea Riddell

Rebekah Schuchmann

Gemma Aburn

Jade Curnow

Claire Honeywill

Sally Greaney

Kate Syers

Christopher Hadley

Debbie Bean

Debra Weston

Karen O’Donnell

Christine Cosgrove

Nita Pond

Zaria Diamond

Kelly Cross

Maria Prescott

Anna Christiansen

Paddy Dowling

Clare Crawford

Chris Cooper

Cilla Scott

Pip Giblin

Trace Liddington

Emma Asplin

Luis Echegaray

Ed Roggeveen

Lisa Imm

Michelle Marshall

Desiree Alapaki

Jennifer Anderson

Nick Leith

Sandra Shaw

Chris Pook

Priyanka Mathur

Teresa Rush

Sarah Fitzgerald

Liz Weir

Cherie Stayner

Aroha Te Kanawa

Craig Taylor

Kate Mansfield

Nicole Stanton

Maree Brown

Hazel Potterton

Charlotte Molloy

Pepe Toka

Nicola McGregor

Ellen Evitt

Michaela Sheehan

Karyn Bennetts-Dye

Gabby Hale

India Halsall-Rae

Hamish Hislop

Raewyn Lovell

Zena Miller

Vivienne Maddren

Jo Stuart

Gael Ashworth

Kate Crawford

Kerry Forse

Shaun Emms

Jackie Ngatai

Rebecca McCarroll

Sarah Hazlett

Belinda Castles

Emmeline Taptiklis

Sarah Gerritsen

Dick Ongley

Tilly Smith

Erica DSouza

Hayley Pritchard

Shannon Nelson

Aphrodite Hannah

Terrie Reddish

Helen Bichan

Kelly Dorgan

Rose Bygrave

Wendy Grant

Barry Blommaart

Samantha Buchanan

Sue Keast

Roslyn Norrie

Louise Mclean

Helen Cranshaw

Ken Haydock

Brie Ross

Peter Barclay

Sam Rowlands

Gerard Hehir

Kate Banuve

Taria Given

Rebekah Carr

Sophie Heusel

Kate Davidson

Grace Watts

Jessie Scirkovich

Sarah Sneyd

Ashley Wilson

Laura French

Koriann O’Connor

Edd James

Jo Fissenden

Elaine Smid

Alison Wright

Rachel Ryan

Emma Scobie-Jennings

Philip Mcfedries

Jo Taylor

Ana Estrada

Marnie Prickett

Josiah Bugden

Saskia Lesser

Lauren Ensor

Abigail Ross

Linda Buxton

Alana McCambridge

Linda Enari

Terryann Clark

Hayley Denison

Agnieszka Kowalik-Tait

Meika Foster

Brittani Beavis

Kirsten Smiler

Charles Kiata

George Henderson

Ngatai Walker

Bryan Trevean

Mark Keenan

Jess Southee

Brent Woods

Adam Heta

Tracey Smith

Jeanie Hansell

Amy Darby

Debra Harrod

Patricia Simeon

Melissa Bell

Bob Stiles

Karee Duncan

Azra Pugh

Jen Ranginui

Garth Jacobsen

Kaz Chamberlain

Losaline Lokotui

Cindy Walsh

Lauretta Haskell

Tracey Turfrey

Laura Roberts

Kim Norris

Sharon Yap

Jane Grabham

Michael Hart

Judy Rush

Vinod Naik

Naiane Naik

Pooja Bhikha

Anne Braint

Madeline Schwass

Nicola Buisman

Mandy Evans

Suha Wahab

Christine Butler

Kelly Manson

Melissa Percival

Grace Lauina

Gemma Holden

Tyler Radik

Haley Hessell

Marley Kurei

Maria Jackson

Julia Fu

Sarah Soper

Hayley Clark

Kathleen Blackhurst

Craig Nelson

Michaelene Nu’u

Annamaria O’Reilly

Kelly Banks

Theresa Webster

Mikaela Duggan

The following organisational members of Health Coalition Aotearoa are signatories of this petition:

The following additional organisations and schools are signatories of this petition:

Healthy Families Waitakere

Kauri Flats School

Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College

Waipukurau School

St Albans School

Freemans Bay School

Westshore School

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Piripono

Otamarakau School

Te Kura o Matarangi Northcote School

Taita Central School

Waimārama School

William Colenso College

Marcellin College

Otahuhu Intermediate

Waiotira School

Maraetai Beach School

Waatea School

Kotemaori School

Maromaku School

Maidstone Intermediate

Stanhope Road School

New Plymouth Adventist Christain School

Rolleston College

Gracefield Early Childhood Centre

Working Women’s Resource Centre (WWRC)

Arthritis New Zealand

WAKA Incorporated

Te Kura o Otangarei Board of Trustees

Ruapotaka School

Tui Glen School

Te Kōmanawa Rowley School

Kawaha Point School

Awahono School – Grey Valley

Glenfield Primary School

Newlands Intermediate

Christ the King Catholic School – Owairaka

Waiotira Primary School

Waverley Park School

Taitoko School

Puketapu School (New Plymouth)

Tararua College

Levin East School

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, Waihi

Aurora College

Dominion Road School

West End Te Kura O Morere

BSC Farms Ltd

Health Promotion & Policy Research Unit, University of Otago, Wellington

Network Communication

The Free Store

Te Horo School

Waihī Beach School

Pacific Advance Secondary School

West Park School

Richmond School

Tauhoa School

Featherston School

Ōwhiro Bay School

Sara Cohen School

Pakuranga Heights School

Taupo Intermediate School

Lynmore School

Belmont School Lower Hutt

D & E Consulting

Waipawa Primary School

Rāwhiti School

Central Auckland Specialist School

Waipahihi School

St Joseph’s School (Temuka)

Whole Food Living Magazine

Kai for Kids Charitable Trust

Bluff School

Kaikohe East School

KingsView School

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Hiringa

Hampden School

Maniototo Area School

Papatoetoe North School

Oromahoe School

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Takapau

Ruawai Primary School

Wairau Valley School

D & S Ardern Ltd

St Michael’s Catholic School

Centennial Park School

Te Kanawa Project & Event Management

Wellington Seventh-day Adventist School

Bromley School

TKKM o Piripono Te Kura Whakahou ki Ōtara

Magills Butchery

CareerWise

TKKM o Harataunga

Motueka South School

Swanson School

Berhampore School

St Joseph’s School Hawera

Russell School (Bay of Islands)

St Mary’s Dunedin

St Josephs School Ashburton

One Tree Point School

St Joseph’s Catholic School Morrinsville

Porangahau School

St John’s College

Silverstream South School

Kelston Girls College

Bohally Intermediate School

Glenavy School

Martinborough School

St Paul’s Catholic School

Ms Rainbows Kitchen

Edible Research Ltd

Hingaia Peninsula School

Pomaria Primary School

Picton School

Briar Nicol Counselling LTD

He Huarahi Tamariki

South End School, Carterton

Ambury Park Centre Inc

Paeroa Christian School

Mokoia Intermediate

Saint Joseph’s School (Feilding)

Waiotira Primary

Otaki School

Lower Moutere School

Iqra School

Whareama School

Clyde Quay School

Orere School

Ngutunui School

Hay Park School

Thames High School

Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School

St Andrew’s Primary School

Cambridge Middle School

References
[1] Anderson, M. L., Gallagher, J. and Ramirez Ritchie, E. (2018) ‘School meal quality and academic performance’, Journal of Public Economics, 168, pp. 81–93. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.09.013.

[2]Altindag, D. T. et al. (2020) ‘Free lunch for all? The impact of universal school lunch on student misbehavior’, Economics of Education Review, 74(April 2019), p. 101945. doi: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.101945.

[3]Vermillion Peirce, P., E. Blackie, M. Morris, B Jarvis-Child and S. Engelbertz (2021). New Zealand Healthy School Lunch pilot Ka Ora, Ka Ako Interim Evaluation. Ministry of Education. https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Ka-Ora-Ka-Ako-Evaluation_ImpactFinal_20210517_revisedFINAL.pdf

[4] Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches programme – Progress Update. (2021). Ministry of Education. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Documents/our-work/information-releases/Advice-Seen-by-our-Ministers/September-2021/13.-BN-1268767-Ka-Ora-Ka-Ako-Healthy-School-Lunch-Programme-Progress-Update.pdf

[5] Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau, Sarah Gerritsen, Boyd Swinburn, Erica D’Souza & David Tipene-Leach (2022) Nourishing Hawke’s Bay: He wairua tō te kai – food security, health behaviours and wellbeing in children in regional New Zealand, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 52:4, 357-375, DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2064519 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03036758.2022.2064519?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab