Why Agriculture Still Matters For Struggling Communities

Written by Stacey Shortall

I was raised on a farm, so I know first-hand the hard work, uncertainty, and resilience that agriculture demands. Growing up, I learned that the land gives back only when you look after it, and that neighbours in rural New Zealand pull together when times get tough.

Decades later, through my work in disadvantaged communities, I see the same lessons play out. Agriculture remains one of New Zealand’s core ways to support struggling families and communities - not just through what we grow, but through how farming connects people, provides jobs, and anchors us to the land.

Food on the Table

New Zealand produces enough food to feed around 40 million people every year - nearly eight times our population. Yet paradoxically, one in five Kiwi children lives in poverty, and foodbanks are under massive pressure. The NZ Food Network, which supports whanau facing food insecurity, distributed more than 13 million kilograms of food between July and December 2024 alone.

Agriculture has the potential to close this gap - not only through exports, but by ensuring healthy, affordable, locally produced food is accessible for families in need. Community gardens, food partnerships between farmers and foodbanks, and donations of surplus produce show how farming can directly reduce food insecurity. On the farm, nothing is wasted. That ethos could help reshape how we feed our most vulnerable.

Jobs and Training

Agriculture contributes over $12 billion in export earnings annually and sustains tens of thousands of jobs across rural towns. The wider food and fibre sector accounts for around 10% of New Zealand’s GDP and employs over 360,000 people.

For struggling communities - particularly young people in regions where youth unemployment is nearly double the national average - agriculture offers real pathways. With more investment in training, apprenticeships, and school-to-farm programmes, the sector could help lift young people out of cycles of poverty while ensuring the workforce it needs for the future.

Community Spirit

What I remember most from my childhood is the way farming communities looked after one another. Whether it was haymaking, flooding clean-ups, or fundraising at the local hall, rural New Zealand has long understood the importance of shared effort.

That same spirit is needed now. In the communities I work with, resilience is abundant, but resources are thin. Agriculture can bridge that gap - by partnering with schools, charities, and local initiatives to share not just food, but also skills, mentorship, and opportunity.

Challenges We Must Face

Of course, agriculture is not without its challenges. Water quality and environmental sustainability are pressing concerns. But I believe the sector is capable of meeting them, and that part of the solution lies in connecting environmental responsibility with social responsibility.

A sustainable agriculture sector is not only one that protects rivers and soil, but one that strengthens communities, reduces inequality, and feeds children as well as export markets.

Why It Matters

From my farm upbringing to my work in prisons and schools, I’ve seen the same truth: strong communities are built when people look out for one another. Agriculture has always been about more than growing food. It is about sustaining people.

If we harness the strength of our food-producing heritage to meet today’s social challenges - feeding families, creating jobs, supporting youth, and building partnerships - then agriculture can continue to be one of New Zealand’s most powerful tools for change.

Because at its heart, farming is about nurturing life. And right now, our struggling communities need exactly that.