Aotearoa is one of only a handful of island countries well-placed to survive a Nuclear winter.

A new study published in the international journal Risk Analysis found we're one of five, including Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, that would be able to continue to produce food - should we lose sunlight and the temperature plummet.

Nuclear winter type conditions could be cause by nuclear war, super volcano eruptions, or asteroid impacts.

Otago University health professor Nick Wilson spoke to Max Towle about the research.