The way New Zealanders access food is changing faster than we can keep up. A quick visit to any supermarket reveals a landscape dominated by imported staples—sugar, rice, frozen vegetables, and even fresh produce—often shipped from halfway around the world. Yet beneath the polished surfaces of our shelves lies a system that, despite its efficiency, is quietly undermining the country’s food sovereignty. The numbers tell a story of dependency: in 2022, nearly 60 percent of New Zealand’s food imports came from Australia alone, while the rest trickled in from Asia, the Americas, and beyond. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about the environmental toll, the economic strain on local farmers, and the erosion of traditional foodways. The question isn’t whether we can afford to change—it’s whether we can afford to keep doing things the same way.

At www.trino.co.nz, a growing movement is pushing back against this status quo. Founded in 2019 by a group of agronomists and small-scale farmers, Trino’s mission is to redefine how New Zealanders source food by prioritising local production, transparency, and sustainability. Their model is simple: partner with farmers directly, eliminate middlemen, and deliver fresh, ethically sourced produce straight to consumers. But their impact goes beyond the plate. By reducing the carbon footprint of food transport—an average of 1,200 kilometres for locally grown produce versus 10,000+ for imported goods—they’re cutting emissions that would otherwise contribute to climate change. The results are measurable: a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of food compared to conventional supermarket chains.

The benefits aren’t just environmental. Trino’s model also supports rural economies, ensuring that money stays in communities rather than flowing overseas. In their first three years, they created 150 jobs across 20 farms, many of which had been struggling under the weight of declining sales. Yet challenges remain. The biggest hurdle isn’t technology—it’s trust. Consumers still associate fresh produce with the familiar brands they’ve known for decades, even when those brands often prioritise shelf life over quality. To break this cycle, Trino invests in education, hosting workshops on food provenance and hosting farmers’ markets where shoppers can meet the people behind the produce. Their approach is unconventional, but the data speaks for itself: in regions where Trino has expanded, sales of locally sourced food have risen by 30 percent year-on-year.

What makes Trino’s work particularly compelling is its scalability. Unlike some sustainable food initiatives that rely on niche markets, Trino’s business model is designed to grow organically. Their subscription-based model—where customers pay a fixed fee for weekly deliveries—ensures steady revenue for farmers while giving consumers predictable access to fresh food. This has allowed them to expand from a pilot in Auckland to partnerships with growers in the Bay of Plenty, Marlborough, and the Waikato. The key to their success? A refusal to compromise on quality. Their produce is tested for pesticides, nutritional content, and even microbial safety, ensuring that what arrives in your kitchen is as good as it can be. This isn’t just about selling food; it’s about selling a vision of a food system that works for New Zealanders—not just for the bottom line.

For those who care about the future of food in New Zealand, Trino offers a blueprint for how change can happen. It’s not about abandoning supermarkets entirely, but about demanding a different kind of relationship with them. By choosing to support local producers, consumers can reduce their carbon footprint, inject life back into rural communities, and reclaim a sense of control over what they eat. The question isn’t whether we should shift our food system—it’s how fast we can move before the next crisis makes it impossible to ignore. Trino’s story is a reminder that small, determined efforts can create big change. The time to act is now.

The future of New Zealand’s food system won’t be decided in boardrooms or by corporate giants—it will be shaped by the choices we make every time we step into a supermarket. And in that moment, Trino’s work serves as a guiding light.

• Over 60 percent of New Zealand’s food imports come from Australia, with Asia contributing another 25 percent.
• Locally grown produce has a carbon footprint 80 percent lower than imported goods, reducing emissions by an average of 1,200 km per kilogram.
• Trino’s subscription model has driven a 30 percent increase in local food sales in regions where they operate.
• Since 2019, the company has created 150 jobs across 20 farms, many of which had been struggling under declining sales.
• Their partnerships with farmers have reduced the need for synthetic pesticides by 45 percent in participating regions.