Mince pies and a warm glass of milk, coffee or Milo - the essential Kiwi food groups.

But not everyone gets an equal slice of the pie, so farmer-led initiative Meat the Need have stepped in to help the 20% of New Zealanders struggling with food insecurity.

The initiative launched its online national charity auction yesterday to fundraise for the 130 foodbanks it supplies with milk, mince and other farm produce.

It supports four of our local food banks - the Ashburton Salvation Army, Presbyterian Support, Kai for Kids and the St Vincent de Paul Food Bank - and they’re asking people to get involved.

Kai for Kids trust chairperson Jo Taylor said Meat the Need helped to keep their meals varied.

“We get boxes of mince from Meat the Need … they get turned into meatballs, hamburger patties, spaghetti bolognese.

“As a protein source it’s great for children, and highly palatable for them.”

Jumping in on the auction helps Kai for Kids continue feeding hungry stomachs in Mid Canterbury - they’ve made over 155,000 lunches this year, half of which aren’t government funded.

“Children in our local community benefit from it, and families in town do too.”

Meat the Need supported our local St Vincent de Paul pre-covid, shop manager Donna Collins said.

They use donated mince packages to make up the 12 - 15 food parcels a week for families in need.

Even with the donated meat, parcels can cost upwards of $2000 a fortnight.

“When you look at those sorts of figures, that’s why the meat is so valuable.”

“We appreciate very much the meat that comes in,” President Trevor Wall said.

“It helps our food bank a lot.”

Wall asked people with the spare time and money to back the auction over the next 9 days.

Several big-ticket items, from Ford Rangers to resort retreats, have been donated to incentivise bidders.

The auction runs on Trade Me until November 17.

The cost of living is the biggest cause of food insecurity - a limited ability to buy food that’s healthy and satisfying - for Kiwis, but import vulnerability and faulty infrastructure are of growing concern.

A United Nations report revealed that Oceania was the only region where food insecurity had increased, and not just in the Pacific Islands - New Zealand’s rate jumped from 10% in 2016 to 16.4% by 2023.

Aotearoa’s largest non-profit food distributor, the New Zealand Food Network backed that claim after demand for their services increased by 42% in 2024.

Meat the Need general manager Zellara Holden said a bid had the power to impact someone’s life in a positive way.

“Every bid in this auction brings us closer to the goal of ensuring no one in New Zealand goes hungry.

“This campaign is more than a fundraiser; it’s a nationwide movement powered by community, generosity, and a shared commitment to food security.”

Meat the Need is a farmer-led initiative that donates farm produce, like milk and meat, to over 130 food banks around the country.

The organisation has donated over 1.2 million mince meals and, through partner charity Feed Out, over 2 million milk meals to Kiwis in need since 2020.

By Anisha Satya and Jessica Bleach