Welcome to a place similar to so many others… A place where rising food prices, and the country’s high inflation rates have injected newfound creativity and resourcefulness into the locals. In New Zealand, the cost of food has skyrocketed and inflation is said to be at an all-time high. People in Christchurch are creatively turning to food foraging as a means of supplementing their pantries.
Foraging is as popular as ever in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island, where devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 saw large chunks of the city demolished. The government designated a ‘red zone’, meaning that 8 thousand houses were demolished or removed from it.The abandoned gardens, cracked footpaths and wild meadows are left in their wake. They have left behind a surreal tangle of abandoned cul de sacs, and back yards are now meadows that are slowly being taken over by nature.
Luckily for residents, many of the locals had planted fruit trees, which were left behind to grow wild. Residents consider this a type of “urban exploring”, but for fruits, nuts and mushrooms. Say the residents, “now more than every we are really keen on finding free sources of food, from within the city.”
So what does that leave us with dear readers? Some clear lines of action: Food is wealth, if you haven’t already started on your home garden, why not get started this weekend. A few fruit trees could make a world of difference in the future for you and your neighbours.
