Enhancing Māori agribusiness through kaitiakitanga tools

This report focuses on Māori agribusinesses and their dynamic and holistic approach to natural resources that seek to balance commercial and cultural imperatives. An overview of the Māori agribusiness sector is provided, as well as kaitiakitanga (guardianship) tools operating in the Māori environmental and resource management sectors. The Māori agribusiness sector could be enhanced and strengthened by employing Māori science and knowledge systems.

Māori approaches to lands and waterways assume an indivisible relationship between human and non-human entities. This paper provides an overview of Māori conceptual underpinnings related to land, water and people from Māori agribusinesses, environmental and resource management sectors.

Māori agribusinesses take a dynamic and holistic approach to natural resources that seeks to balance commercial and cultural imperatives. Balancing these dual aims could be enhanced by the uptake of Māori science and knowledge systems applied in environment and resource management contexts.

We provide an overview of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) tools in the Māori environmental and resource management sectors. We explore the potential adaptability, scalability and transferability of these tools to the Māori agribusiness sector with prioritised suggestions for future developments.

A more robust knowledge transfer system that makes research relevant to the end user is needed, along with more innovative research agendas based on the needs of diverse Māori communities, and capability development that supports Māori agribusiness initiatives.