Revitalise Te Taiao

What are we doing?E aha ana mātou?

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, nau mai piki mai kake mai ra ki te waka Taiao e toia nei ngā ohāki kia toitū te whenua, kia toiora te wai. Ko ngā tikanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi e paihere i te kaupapa whakarauora Taiao, kia eke panuku, kia eke tangaroa, te kaupapa rangahau o Revitalise te Taiao. Whai oranga mauri ora.

Food producers all over the world are facing connected challenges: the health of soil and water, climate change, and changing customer expectations. We can respond to these challenges in a uniquely Aotearoa way by implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in all efforts to help revitalise te Taiao – the land, water, climate, and biodiversity that contains and surrounds us all.

This research has pilots in three locations, working alongside agribusinesses and communities as they progress land-use change, work with value chains and connect with markets to revitalise te Taiao.

• Wānaka-based project Knowledge into Action for Te Taiao, led by WAI Wānaka, has research goals that include expanding traditional farm plans beyond tools of regulation, to enhance the vitality of te Taiao.
• Taranaki-based Te Kāhui Rau, led by Ngāti Tāwhirikura, aims to revitalise hapū whenua and whānau.
• Based in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato, Rere ki Uta, Rere ki Tai is testing farming methods that aim to enhance the mana and mauri of the soil across 10 dairy farms, led by AgriSea New Zealand.

Agribusiness entrepreneurs and innovators will work side-by-side with scientists to revitalise te Taiao. Respecting that all knowledge starts as local knowledge, solutions will be tailored to fit the local context of production, economy, community, and environment.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles of partnership, participation and protection are central to this research.