Enhancing Māori food security using traditional kai

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Food Systems
• Nutrition Security
• Cultural Revitalization

Background:

• Colonization and urbanization have disrupted traditional Māori food gathering, negatively impacting food security.
• Māori food security is a significant nutrition issue, with historical and ongoing challenges.
• Revitalizing traditional kai (food) practices is explored as a strategy to address these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role of Māori in enhancing their own food security.
• To investigate the potential of revitalizing traditional kai for improving Māori food security.
• To identify enabling factors and barriers in the process of revitalizing traditional kai.

Main Methods:

• A narrative literature review of peer-reviewed and grey literature was conducted.
• The review focused on two key areas: increasing traditional kai availability and enhancing financial means for food purchase.
• Methods included examining gardening projects, fishing stock replenishment, and economic development of traditional kai industries.

Main Results:

• Māori are actively involved in New Zealand's fishing and horticultural industries.
• Gardening initiatives are expanding within Māori communities.
• Enabling factors include resource return, legal rights, Māori governance, supportive government policies, and Māori leadership, while barriers include resource management tensions, depleted fish stocks, and pollution.

Conclusions:

• Revitalizing traditional kai holds significant potential to improve Māori food security through direct food supply and income generation.
• The findings suggest a need for policy and practical support for these initiatives.
• The study's implications extend to other indigenous cultures facing similar food security challenges.