Conceptualizing indigenous food sovereignty in Aotearoa New Zealand

Urban Farm DB summary

This study, guided by Kaupapa Māori research principles, explored how the revitalization of mahinga kai practices (traditional foodways) in Aotearoa New Zealand can advance wellbeing, socioeconomic equity, and food sovereignty for Māori. Conducted in two phases, the research identified three themes explaining how mahinga kai enhances Māori wellbeing: reclaiming mātauranga, reconnecting to ancestral whenua, and restoring Papatūānuku. Food sovereignty was understood as an adaptive system where cultural meaning lies in how food is produced, shared, and sustained within Māori values and knowledge systems, leading to the development of "The Mahinga Kai Framework: Enacting Food Sovereignty."