Department of Population Health, University of Otago, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
Māori/Indigenous Health Institute, University of Otago, PO Box 4345, 8140, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Int J Equity Health. 2021 Feb 27;20(1):67. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01407-4.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child confirms a child's right to adequate food, and to the highest attainable standard of health. For indigenous children, these rights are also recognised in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, Indigenous children endure higher rates of obesity and related health conditions than non-indigenous children, including in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). For indigenous tamariki (Māori children) in NZ, high levels of obesity are interconnected with high rates of food insecurity. Therefore there is a need for action. This study aimed to investigate policy options that would safeguard the rights of indigenous children to healthy food. We explored with key stakeholder's policy options to ensure the rights of indigenous children to healthy food, through a case study of the rights of tamariki.
Interviews were conducted with 15 key stakeholders, with experience in research, development or delivery of policies to safeguard the rights of tamariki to healthy food. Iterative thematic analysis of the transcripts identified both deductive themes informed by Kaupapa Māori theory and literature on rights-based approaches and inductive themes from the interviews.
The analysis suggests that to ensure the right to adequate food and to healthy food availability for tamariki, there needs to be: a comprehensive policy response that supports children's rights; an end to child poverty; food provision and food policy in schools; local government policy to promote healthy food availability; and stronger Māori voices and values in decision-making.
The right to food for indigenous children, is linked to political and economic systems that are an outcome of colonisation. A decolonising approach where Māori voices and values are central within NZ policies and policy-making processes is needed. Given the importance of food to health, a broad policy approach from the NZ government to ensure the right to adequate food is urgent. This includes economic policies to end child poverty and specific strategies such as food provision and food policy in schools. The role of Iwi (tribes) and local governments needs to be further explored if we are to improve the right to adequate food within regions of NZ.
《联合国儿童权利公约》确认儿童有权获得充足的食物，并享有能达到的最高标准的健康。对于土著儿童，《联合国土著人民权利宣言》也确认了他们享有这些权利。然而，与非土著儿童相比，土著儿童肥胖率和相关健康问题的比例更高，包括在新西兰（NZ）。对于新西兰的土著毛利儿童（Māori 儿童）来说，肥胖率高与粮食不安全程度高密切相关。因此，需要采取行动。本研究旨在探讨保障土著儿童享有健康食品权利的政策选择。我们通过对 tamariki（毛利儿童）权利的案例研究，与主要利益相关者探讨了确保土著儿童享有健康食品权利的政策选择。
对 15 名在研究、制定或执行保障 tamariki 享有健康食品权利政策方面有经验的主要利益相关者进行了访谈。对访谈记录进行迭代主题分析，既包括基于毛利理论和基于权利的方法文献的演绎主题，也包括访谈中的归纳主题。
分析表明，为了确保 tamariki 的充足食物权和健康食物供应权，需要采取以下措施：采取全面的政策措施，支持儿童权利；消除儿童贫困；在学校提供和制定食品政策；地方政府制定政策，促进健康食品供应；在决策中增强毛利人的声音和价值观。
土著儿童的食物权与殖民化的政治和经济制度有关。需要采取去殖民化的方法，将毛利人的声音和价值观置于新西兰政策和决策过程的核心。鉴于食物对健康的重要性，新西兰政府采取广泛的政策措施，确保获得充足食物的权利是紧迫的。这包括消除儿童贫困的经济政策，以及在学校提供食物和制定食品政策等具体战略。如果我们要改善新西兰各地区获得充足食物的权利，就需要进一步探讨部落和地方政府的作用。
