Rangapū Rangahau successful proposals

Lake Whatumā is a taonga in the rohe of Tamatea, rich in history and biodiversity but facing challenges of invasive weeds, poor water quality, and community disconnection. Te Rongo o Whatumā, as kaitiaki, are leading a partnership with Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa - Massey University to restore the health and mana of the lake.

This kaupapa is about more than ecological restoration. By investing in Māori science, innovation, and technology, the project will support sustainable regional economic development by strengthening local capability, creating local employment pathways for rangatahi, and grow long-term income-generating opportunities connected to the lake and its wider catchment such as eco-tourism and eel farming.

The project will combine mātauranga Māori and science through four work-streams:

• A digital platform to share stories, data, and restoration progress.
• Collaborative analysis of catchment biophysical data analysis of water, flora, and fauna to inform potential management actions.
• A novel environmental health assessment framework linking cultural and scientific measures to guide collaborative improvements in land and water management practices.
• A series of catchment workshops and pilot demonstrations to test and share practical catchment water quality and environmental solutions.

The project will benefit whānau, hapū, schools, researchers, and the wider Hawke’s Bay community. It will also provide a model for how mātauranga Māori and ecological science can be woven together to restore Aotearoa’s freshwater taonga. Guided by the vision of Te Rongo o Whatumā, this kaupapa will restore the mauri o Lake Whatumā, reconnect people with place, and grow both environmental and economic wellbeing for future generations.

Hikitia te mauri! Whakakotahi ai i te iwi! 

Revitalise the life force! Reunite with the people!

The project centres Te Wai Haapuapua, a te ao Maaori implementation of paludiculture (‘wet farming’), as a strategy to create economic and cultural resilience to climate change while protecting ecological heritage. This partnership between Waikato-Tainui and Bioeconomy Science Institute aims to empower Maaori landowners and marae to plan for climate change impacts that will affect the lower Waikato River (Te Puuaha/Port Waikato). 

Research indicates that the Waikato River will become more saline, including brackish water reaching farther from the coast than currently occurs. Furthermore, sea-level rise will restrict the emptying of the river, leading to increased inundation of lands surrounding the Waikato River, particularly in Te Puuaha. This context makes paludiculture a priority land-use option for Te Puuaha; however, Te Wai Haapuapua is preferred as it adopts paludicultural practices and ensures that cultural and ecological benefits are preserved while creating economic opportunity. 

In this project we will research the potential for bioactives that will create markets for value-added products from Te Wai Haapuapua, while local Maaori landowners and researchers from the Bioeconomy Science Institute will together assess the salinity and inundation tolerance of key species from Maaori land around Te Puuaha, as well as key species that might be introduced to the area as salinity increases. 

We will use vegetation survey techniques to co-create culturally relevant tohu (indicators) of ecological change that require management interventions. We will collate all this information in a road map report that sets the foundation for economic opportunity and climate resilience in Te Puuaha in the face of climate change. We will share findings about plant salinity and inundation tolerance within Aotearoa and Te Moana-nui-aa-Kiwa to aide other near-coastal communities in their decision-making around paludiculture, conservation, and restoration in the face of climate change.

Together, the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), in partnership with Tātau Tātau Horticulture (Haumako), are leading an innovative research programme in Wairoa to transform how apples are grown. Our aim is to reduce chemical sprays, improve environmental health, train our tamariki, share our knowledge, and create better commercial returns for Māori. 

This programme is co-designed by Haumako and BSI, blending traditional Māori knowledge with modern science and data systems. By applying the natural cycles of the moon and environment unique to Wairoa, we will test new ways to manage pests and diseases in apple orchards. The research will compare orchard performance under maramataka (traditional Māori lunar calendar) with conventional methods, measuring soil and tree health, yield and fruit quality. Our goal is to gather supporting evidence showing Māori knowledge can guide successful, minimal sprayed orchard management in a commercial setting. 

Furthermore, we are building a new data platform that will keep all knowledge and information safe, secure, and in Māori control. This system will be user-friendly, cost-effective, and future-proofed, allowing Haumako to collect, store, and share data to benefit Māori now and in the future. Our partnership will implement best-practice data science while ensuring Māori retain authority and guardianship over the knowledge. Two “data champions” will be trained within Haumako to steward the system, ensuring capability and continuity locally.

The programme also focuses on knowledge transfer. Orchard staff and cadets will be trained in both cultural principles and modern data collection methods. This will build skills in Wairoa, create new job opportunities, and inspire the next generation of Māori horticulturalists, data specialists, and leaders.

The outcomes will benefit Māori and the wider horticulture industry by showing how indigenous knowledge and science can co-exist. The result will be healthier orchards, reduced spray use, better environmental outcomes, and a stronger, future-focused Māori economy.

Harakeke offers extraordinary potential for high-value applications: healing gels for skincare and traditional medicine, nutrient-rich seed oils, premium fibre for textiles, natural dyes, sustainable packaging materials, and specialty honey. The Relocatable Harakeke Processing Platform project will establish New Zealand's first  demonstration of modular, containerised harakeke processing designed with and for rural Māori communities seeking sustainable economic development opportunities. 

Using fibre processing as our demonstration model, this project demonstrates a world-first, science-based platform that turns harakeke research into deployable, real-world processing capacity in the Utakura Valley. The modular platform will use containerised systems for processing infrastructure that can be transported and established in remote locations with limited existing infrastructure. By combining community will and resources with BSI’s decades of processing and characterisation expertise, the project will show how knowledge transfer can seed sustainable, community-controlled enterprises. 

Our hands-on approach will conduct on-site processing trials using progressively larger material volumes while training community members in equipment operation, quality control, and safety protocols. Integrated laboratory capability will enable real-time analysis and optimisation, ensuring processing excellence while building technical expertise within the community. Led by the BSI in partnership with Utakura 7 Incorporation, this two-year project emphasises practical capability building through direct community engagement. Traditional knowledge holders working alongside processing technologists will create knowledge exchange preserving mātauranga Māori while developing specialised technical skills. 

The platform design will enable future expansion into other harakeke products such as gel extraction, seed oil pressing, honey processing, and natural dye production as equipment becomes available. This modular approach will balance focused demonstration with scalable growth potential. This model could serve as a template for other remote and indigenous communities globally, positioning Aotearoa New Zealand as a hub of micro-enterprise innovation.

Wharekauri (Chatham Islands) is one of the most remote regions of Aotearoa New Zealand. For generations, farming has been the backbone of local land use. However, rising costs and limited shipping options are making it increasingly difficult for whānau to sustain traditional livelihoods.

In response, as descent of Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri the Maipito Hough Whānau Trust is exploring new, culturally grounded pathways that are environmentally responsible and economically resilient. This project investigates the potential of Tarahina (Dracophyllum arboreum), a native plant that grows abundantly on Wharekauri.

While scientific knowledge about Tarahina is limited, there is a growing global interest in natural bioactives-such as plant-based antimicrobials and antioxidants-this research will explore whether Tarahina could support a whānau-led value chain.

Over two years, the project will take a proof-of-concept approach. In Year One, researchers will work alongside whānau to profile Tarahina’s chemical compounds and test its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity using laboratory assays. In Year Two, the team will refine small-scale extraction methods (such as steam distillation), with openness to other techniques if appropriate. If promising bioactivity is confirmed, the research will assess whether a commercial roadmap can be co-developed that aligns scientific findings with tikanga and whānau aspirations.

The project team includes researchers from the Bioeconomy Science Institute (SCION and Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research groups), working in partnership with the Maipito Hough Whānau Trust. A Māori Early Career Researcher will also gain valuable leadership experience through the programme.

Expected outcomes include: scientific evidence based about Tarahina’s properties, clarity on potential market opportunities, and strengthened local capability in tikanga-led research and enterprise design. While product development is not part of this phase, the research will provide the knowledge and decision points needed to guide future land-use diversification and whānau-led innovation.

Māori tourism businesses are deeply connected to the natural environment, offering experiences that rely on the land, sea, and sky. In 2023, these businesses contributed $1.2 billion to New Zealand’s GDP, but much of this value is weather-dependent. As climate variability increases, so too does the need for tools that help businesses adapt.

This project will develop a new AI-based capability to help Māori tourism operators predict and respond to weather and environmental conditions. The first case study is Whale Watch Kaikōura, a 100% Māori-owned ecotourism business and a cornerstone of the Kaikōura economy. Whale Watch Kaikōura has long recognised the need for better weather-informed decision-making and has been collecting operational data for over a decade.

In partnership with Earth Sciences New Zealand, Whale Watch Kaikōura is co-developing AI models that combine historical weather data with business insights to forecast the specific impacts of environmental conditions on operations. These tools will help staff make informed decisions, improve customer communication, and support long-term planning.  Key outputs will include forecasts of tour cancellation risk, windows of higher departure probability, passenger comfort estimates, and long-term trends in sea conditions and whale behaviour. Predictions will be delivered across three timeframes: short-term (up to 5 days), medium-range (weekly), and seasonal outlooks.

This collaboration will ensure the tools are culturally grounded, aligned with Whale Watch Kaikōura’s values, and deliver tangible economic benefits to Ngāti Kuri and the wider Māori tourism sector. By translating complex environmental data into business-relevant insights, this project will build resilience and unlock new opportunities for Māori tourism across Aotearoa.

Te Roto o Wairewa is a taonga of profound cultural, historical, and ecological significance. This lake embodies hāpū identity through mahinga kai, whakapapa, and tikanga. Its long-term health and the sustainability of customary fisheries depend on the successful migration of juvenile mahinga kai species from the ocean into the lake. 

However, both customary and potential commercial fisheries are impacted by a gravel bar that currently restricts fish passage. In response, Te Rūnanga o Wairewa has designed an innovative structure to permanently reconnect the lake with the ocean, allowing year-round fish migration and offering new options for managing lake levels and flood risks.

This project will support the Rūnanga by combining mātauranga Māori, ecological science, and hydrological modelling to assist culturally-informed decisions about lake management. The aim is to maximise benefits for fish recruitment, habitat quality, and overall sustainability of mahinga kai, as well as helping to manage flood hazard around the lake. 

The work will be undertaken by researchers at Earth Sciences New Zealand together with Dr Alvina Edwards representing the Rūnanga, working closely with other rūnanga members and developers of the fish passage prototype.

Outcomes from the research will include a Wairewa-specific ethical framework that will help guide and inform future research in the Rūnanga and ensure it is informed by whakapapa, intergenerational knowledge, Wairewa-specific tikanga and local narratives. A decision-support tool developed within this framework will support the mauri of Te Roto o Wairewa, including improved sustainability as a mahinga kai site. This research will maximise the likelihood that the innovative fish passage being developed by Wairewa Rūnanga is successful and can provide a model for use in other locations.

This project aims to empower Ngāti Tara as expert kaitiaki by weaving together mātauranga Māori and ecological science to restore the mauri of our taiao. Through an active pest management programme, we will co-develop two pioneering frameworks—an Ecological and Sustainable Return on Investment (ESROI) model and a Ngāti Tara Capability Map – to build our hapū's capacity for enduring environmental and economic leadership.

Our core innovation is validating strategy through immediate action. We are co-developing a unique ESROI framework that translates our cultural values into the language of investment, demonstrating how restoring ecological health creates quantifiable social and economic wealth. A bespoke Capability Map will guide targeted upskilling. Both frameworks will be proven in real-time as we lead our on-the-ground pest management programme, ensuring our strategies are evidence-based and impactful.

This is a co-developed partnership between the Parapara Marae Trust, representing Ngāti Tara as mana whenua, and the University of Otago. The on-the-ground mahi will be led by our whānau kaitiaki, who will be mentored and trained to create a legacy of expertise within the hapū.

Karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus) is a culturally significant taonga species for Māori. Historically, both the detoxified kernel and ripe orange fruit flesh were consumed, but neither is currently used commercially because of safety concerns and lack of regulatory approval. The project addresses this gap by reclaiming and reimagining a traditional Māori food. It develops a framework for production of high-value products e.g. a karaka fruit leather, and a fermented beverage (waipiro). Led by Tanenuiārangi Manawatū Charitable Trust (TMCT) in partnership with the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), the project integrates mātauranga Māori with food science to co-develop FSANZ-compliant protocols. A key scientific step involves developing a safe method to separate the flesh from the toxic kernel, followed by characterisation of the flesh (e.g. sugar content, dry matter, acidity, toxins) to inform a feasibility study on commercial processing options. 

BSI brings expertise in fruit leather development, including puree formulation and drying technologies, and in fermentation science for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including microbial safety and flavour profiling. TMCT will gain capability in food processing, fermentation, toxin analysis, and regulatory engagement, while BSI will strengthen its ability to embed mātauranga Māori into scientific practice. Short-term outcomes include a framework to co-develop a FSANZ approval pathway, and (depending on the former) a feasibility study for product prototypes. Medium-term outcomes include readiness for upscaling, consumer testing and market evaluation. Long-term impacts include economic growth through Māori-led commercialisation, and a replicable model for culturally grounded food innovation. The research will benefit TMCT through cultural revitalisation and enterprise development; FSANZ through culturally informed safety protocols; and consumers through access to unique, sustainable, indigenous food products. This project contributes to national priorities in bioeconomy, food innovation, and indigenous enterprises.

This project is a partnership between Unitec, Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara and Connovation Ltd. The kaupapa was co-developed through hui and responds to shared aspirations to design toxin-free pest control methods that align with kaitiakitanga and sustainable land use. 

The brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) continues to devastate Aotearoa’s ecosystems through browsing, predation, and disease transmission. Despite decades of control efforts, eradication remains limited by difficult terrain, toxin resistance, and bait or trap aversion. Landowners such as Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara, who manage the 180-hectare Horohoro block in Rotorua, are restricted to non-toxic trapping due to proximity to farmland and market requirements for toxin-free products.  

Possums will exert effort to obtain locusts as a food source, therefore, insect-based lures—both natural infusions and synthetic analogues—will outperform existing lures by eliciting stronger and more consistent approach behaviour from possums, off-setting baitshyness. The research will be conducted in three phases; in Phase 1, the preferences for insect scents (locusts, wētā, crickets) and synthetic compounds will be tested. In Phase 2, Hapū trappers and Connovation Ltd will co-develop lure delivery systems for existing trapping systems which will be followed by Phase 3 where hapū trappers will lead field implementation of the insect lure across Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara’s existing traplines.

This project will deliver a toxin-free lure that improves trapping efficiency and reduces possum populations on Māori land with reduced pressure on native bush, strengthened kaitiakitanga that protect mauri, opportunities for economic growth through sustainable enterprises (toxin-free carcasses), scalable impact to broader pest management programmes and enhancement of Māori research capability in behavioural ecology and field science.

This project directly benefits Ngāti Kea Ngāti Tuara and creates pathways for wider adoption across Aotearoa, strengthening both environmental restoration and sustainable economic futures.

The hapū and iwi of Te Oneroa a Tōhe want to restore Toheroa back to numbers previously seen in the early 1900s. The key to unlocking this economic and cultural opportunity is through understanding how freshwater moves through and over te whenua into the dune ecosystem onto the beach to reach te moana. Using the local mātauranga Māori and a new collaboration with NASA this proposed research project will combine knowledge systems to discover a real opportunity for Toheroa. 

By supporting sustainable Toheroa stocks and improving decisions that affect coastal and groundwater-dependent industries, this project will deliver tangible economic benefits. With Bioeconomy Science Institute building the capability of hapū and iwi along the beach we see this as a unique opportunity to turn around a five-decade old issue of a shellfish struggling to survive due to changing landscapes in one of the only places Toheroa has held on to in Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

The new knowledge will prepare the region for wider discussions on water allocation, water movement from land to the sea and to support both land and fishery/ocean opportunities. The research project will also supplement the current Tai Tokerau Water study for The Aupōuri Aquifer which has the intention of future proofing the groundwater systems in the face of climate change. Part of the work uses Electro Magnetic surveys and traditional sampling of tritium conducted by GNS.

Kauri dieback, caused by the water mold Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), is a devastating disease affecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ) iconic Kauri trees. Once infected, trees have very little chance of survival. The most commonly used management tool to stop the spread of the pathogen is closure of affected ngāhere [forests]. Thus, there is an urgent need to monitor Kauri forests for the presence of the pathogen. Currently, such monitoring is slow and expensive to carry out. It involves taking soils out of a ngāhere, sending samples off to testing laboratories and waiting for more than 1 month to get results. It leaves mana whenua dependent on others for crucial data they need and waiting for answers critical to timely intervention. The development of a rapid point-of-need (PON) test for PA would therefore be a game changer. It would place much-needed Kauri dieback detection technology in the hands of those who need it, allowing faster and better decision-making, more effective monitoring, reduce costs, and avoid moving samples out of mana whenua ngāhere and rohe. 

This project, co-developed by Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa and the University of Otago will develop a fast easy-to use, Point-of-Need PON Kauri dieback diagnostic that can be used by communities to monitor their rohe for the presence of the PA pathogen.  Our Kauri dieback diagnostics will affirm rangatiratanga of kaitiaki over taonga species and their whenua, and significantly reduce the costs of monitoring and managing kauri dieback.

When disasters strike isolated communities, help can take days to arrive. Communities often have emergency supplies, but these expire, go missing, or don't match actual needs. Meanwhile, emergency managers desperately need information from affected areas (which roads are blocked) but cannot reach these communities quickly enough.

Te Tira Whakamātaki (TTW) and Massey University's Joint Centre for Disaster Research are developing ‘Te Hononga,’ a digital platform that transforms how isolated communities prepare for and respond to emergencies.

First, we're working with Māori communities to document their environmental knowledge, signs observed for generations that signal approaching hazards, like bird behaviour before storms or seasonal water changes before floods. We'll test whether adding this knowledge to conventional weather and geological data improves our ability to predict where to position emergency supplies.

Second, we're training ‘kaitiaki data leads’, community members who will record critical observations immediately after disasters. While waiting for help, they'll document what failed, what changed, and what's needed, creating a comprehensive operating picture for emergency services from areas they cannot immediately reach.

Third, we're developing systems allowing communities to coordinate resource-sharing during emergencies. The platform tracks maintenance schedules, expiry dates, and supply availability across multiple marae. If one has generators while another needs them, Te Hononga enables peer-to-peer coordination between emergency managers, keeping communities functioning while formal help arrives.

Through exercises with participating marae and scenarios based on recent events like Cyclone Gabrielle, we're building tools that work in real emergencies. We expect to reduce wasted emergency supplies by 30%, improve resource availability by 25%, and significantly speed response times.

This research combines mātauranga with science to create stronger, more resilient communities. Turning local knowledge into practical emergency tools while maintaining dynamic awareness of resources and needs, helps communities help themselves while providing emergency services with vital life-saving information.

Tokomaru Research Centre (for Ngāti Rarua) and The Cawthron Institute Trust Board are creating an ecological and cultural baseline for Te Tai Tapu, Westhaven Inlet. The kaupapa is named Kirihau — “The Breath upon the Land’s Skin” — to breathe life into the land again. It marks the first step in gathering evidence and mātauranga to guide future decisions for this nationally significant estuary and inform understanding of estuarine blue carbon for climate resilience. Mapping Te Tai Tapu's potential as a blue carbon filter could anchor a national strategy for nature credits and climate adaptation.

At more than 2,600 hectares, Te Tai Tapu is the second-largest estuary in Te Waipounamu, alongside neighbouring Farewell Spit/Onetahua. It is ecologically rich yet under pressure from drainage, farming, and climate change. Habitats such as seagrass meadows and taonga species have been reduced, but its scale and relative intactness make it a critical site for measuring environmental potential.

For Ngāti Rārua, Te Tai Tapu is also a place of whakapapa. It was excluded from 19th-century land sales. Ancestors under Niho and Takerei lived, cultivated, and fished here, and burial grounds and pā remain as markers of occupation. This kaupapa is therefore about reconnecting with Sacred Waters and ensuring future choices are grounded in both mātauranga and science.

The project will consolidate past surveys, government reports, iwi knowledge, and cultural narratives into a single iwi-led baseline. This will guide mapping, wānanga, and research priorities. Ngāti Rārua kaimahi will build skills in GIS and ecological literacy, while Cawthron researchers deepen cultural competence by learning iwi priorities and Ngāti Rārua cultural narratives.

Once complete, the baseline will provide evidence to test blue carbon opportunities. While emerging Nature Credit models show how conservation can drive environmental finance, estuarine blue carbon has yet to be proven.

Kirihau's partners will generate a restoration map of benefit to Aotearoa’s environment and economy.

Invasive species of clam and mussel have the potential to cause widespread damage to our freshwater waterways. They could profoundly alter the balance of life in our streams, rivers and lakes, causing changes in water quality and animal abundance, with particular impact on taonga species such as kākahi (freshwater mussels) and tuna (eels). Overseas, they also cause damage to infrastructure, clogging pipes, dams and other waterways.
 
Fortunately, if detected early, invasive mussels and clams can be managed effectively, at least on a local scale. Community input into monitoring can be a powerful tool in accomplishing this goal. In this project, researchers from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and members of the Ngaa Muka Development Trust will join forces to establish a new means of testing for the presence of invasive species, using  a highly-sensitive and specific molecular tool, SENTINEL. This will be put to use by Ngaa Muka Development Trust, allowing us to build capacity for kaitiakitanga and further involvement in the science system, while also safeguarding our freshwater environments. Early detection also reduces significant long-term economic costs by preventing infrastructure damage and lowering the expense of large-scale eradication efforts.
 
Scientifically, we expect to generate a robust platform for the detection of invasive clam (Corbicula) and mussel (Dreissena) species, capable of also detecting native mussels. This will be of interest to scientists, communities and environmental managers globally, and immediate utility to Ngaa Muka Development Trust as they monitor and protect their local environment.
 
From this, we expect to see short-term benefits for both the field of molecular biology, and for Ngaa Muka Development Trust, as monitoring and environmental protection become more straightforward. In the medium-to-long term, we hope to develop SENTINEL into a tool applied across Aotearoa and around the world, with direct environmental benefits and the possibility of commercial application.

This project will transform harakeke (Phormium tenax), a plant of deep cultural importance to Māori, into a sustainable fibre and yarn for modern textile use. Muka fibres, traditionally hand-extracted from harakeke, have been treasured for their strength, durability, and role in weaving. However, this traditional process is extremely labour-intensive, which limits the supply of muka and restricts its use in wider applications. Even when produced, muka remains coarse and stiff, without the time-consuming traditional preparation processes, making it unsuitable for many contemporary textiles that demand softness, drape, and comfort.

The benefits are significant. Mechanically processed muka is expected to cost as little as an eighth that of hand-extracted fibre, making it far more accessible. This will support both traditional weaving and new product development across clothing, homeware, footwear, and cosmetics. It will also create Māori-led business opportunities, jobs in cultivation and processing.  The project will deliver environmental benefits through new harakeke plantations that reduce flooding risks, capture carbon, and provide renewable alternatives to synthetic fibres.

To address the challenges in the traditional process, we will introduce a scalable mechanical process to extract muka in much larger volumes. This process will be benchmarked against traditional fibres while creating a pathway to expand availability without placing pressure on customary practices. The mechanically extracted fibre will then be refined using eco-friendly techniques such as enzymatic retting, bio-based chemical modification, and nanocoatings. These innovations will enhance softness, silkiness, and durability, while artificial twisting technologies will make the fibre suitable for spinning into yarn, a critical step toward apparel and high-value textile applications.

The project combines the expertise of Muka Innovations, a Māori-owned enterprise with deep knowledge of harakeke cultivation, and the University of Waikato, which brings world-class fibre science and testing facilities. Partnerships with iwi and hapū will ensure that cultivation and harvesting respect tikanga and community priorities.

A significant proportion of Māori-owned land is in its original indigenous state. The increasing global market for bioactive ingredients provides opportunities for Māori landowners to develop native plant products informed by local traditional knowledge. Kawakawa and horopito are good examples of rongoā (medicinal) species that can now be found in a range of commercially-available products and therapies. However, existing solutions incorporating native plants are of inconsistent quality, with little scientific evidence for their safety, synergies and beneficial effects.

In this project, Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Te Tauihu, has partnered with the Bioeconomy Science Institute to develop a reproducible and scalable process that will optimise the potency, safety, and quality of products containing kawakawa and horopito. Once proven, this process can be extrapolated to other indigenous species and provide viable pathways to market for Māori enterprises.

The project will provide the critical knowledge required to wild-harvest kawakawa and horopito with consistent chemical profiles, as well as develop tikanga-informed cultivation strategies for both species. It will develop lab-scale manufacturing processes and demonstrate proof-of-concept at pilot scale to support the development of indigenous products with reproducible chemical profiles targeted to specific markets and customer segments. Importantly, all work will be underpinned by the Wakatū-developed access, utilisation and benefit-sharing (ABS) framework. 

Setting a precedent in Aotearoa-NZ, this project will bolster the knowledge-base underpinning the nascent indigenous bioactives industry, provide transformational research that boosts the Māori economy by directly supporting the ethical creation of high-value indigenous bioactive products, and support the future development of clear and robust product development standards for this new and exciting industry. It will foster collaboration between Māori organisations interested in indigenous product development and provide Māori landowners with a proven pathway to sustainably utilise and enhance indigenous flora and transition from wild-harvest to cultivation options if desired.