Whakaora ngā whenua whāma: utilising mātauranga Māori and western science to protect and restore the soil on rural farms in Tai Tokerau

Abstract

The Final Report to UNESCO NZ entitled, Whakaora ngā whenua whāma: Utilising mātauranga Māori and Western science to protect and restore the soil on rural farms in Te Tai Tokerau, is submitted in fulfilment of the funding granted to NorthTec and Unitec. The process and planning of the project cover the team formation, the team constitution, and the idea development. From the rural communities of Waiotu and Takahiwai, two older Māori people [kaumātua] collaborated with the Unitec/NorthTec based researchers to utilise te reo Māori me ngā tikanga and Western research methodologies—qualitative and quantitative—to produce scientific evidence and Indigenous Māori knowledge to support the emerging concept of regenerative farming with the purpose to diminish and transform the adverse impacts of industrial farming production on the land, air, and water. The project commenced on 1 October 2019 and was scheduled to end on 30 June 2020, but given the impact of Covid-19 this date was extended to 30 November 2020.