Māori
Hayden Swann
This report examines how He Rau Ake Ake, Whāngārā Farms’ 100-year whenua
optimisation plan, strengthens values-led decision-making by aligning land use,
environmental resilience, cultural responsibility, financial security and whānau aspirations for generations yet to come.
- June 2026
- Kellogg 55
Hinehou Timutimu
This report examines how networks shape women’s participation in Aotearoa’s Agri sector, revealing that presence does not ensure influence and recognising the ongoing impact of historical loss, calling for pathways that ensure women’s voices are heard and able to shape the sector’s future.
- June 2026
- Kellogg 55
Phil Holland
Phil’s report examines the expanding deer population across Aotearoa New Zealand, its ecological and economic impacts, the limitations of current management, and the ethical tensions surrounding lethal control, cultural values, and decision-making in deer management strategies.
- 2025
- Kellogg 53
Rachel Baker
Gene editing can boost NZ’s primary sector by improving sustainability, productivity, and resilience. Success requires balanced regulation, sector leadership, public trust, and coordinated innovation.
- February 2025
- Nuffield 2024
Jenna Smith
Peatlands store 20% of NZ’s soil carbon but are largely degraded. This report explores restoration, wetland farming, and Māori-led solutions for climate and cultural resilience.
- February 2025
- Nuffield 2024
Cheyenne Wilson
The food and fibre sector, a cornerstone of Aotearoa’s economy, thrives when rangatahi Māori lead. This report outlines barriers, strategies, and a vision for inclusivity.
- 2024
- Kellogg 52
Dave Nuku
This report aims to show how Māori land trusts in Te Moana a Toi apply Kaitiakitanga principles to achieve sustainable governance and long-term intergenerational well-being.
- 2024
- Kellogg 52
Chloe Walker
Access to capital is constraining the sector's sustainability, productivity, and transition to the next generation of farmers.
- 2024
- Kellogg 52
Anthony Taueki
In this report Anthony examines how Aotearoa's primary industries are transforming through technology and innovation, arguing that Industry, Iwi, Government, schools, and tertiary providers must collaborate to build adaptive vocational pathways that deliver meaningful careers and prosperous futures for all whānau and communities.
- 2023
- Nuffield 2022
Daniel Eb
A fracturing social licence to farm.
Recruitment.
An authentic provenance story.
These are our sector’s most entrenched challenges.
At their roots, they are about culture, values and perception.
- November 2022
- Nuffield 2021
Troy Hobson
The Māori economic engine is significant in terms of both asset holding and in generating activity for
the economy of Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite this Māori have almost no presence in the
governance of the Agricultural cooperatives, despite these being businesses that they are significant
suppliers and customers of and hold equity in.
The purpose of this report is to understand the reasons behind this, identify ways to re-engage Māori at governance levels with the cooperatives and understand the benefits and costs to each from doing so.
- 2022
- Kellogg 47
Suzanne Hepi
Māori landlocked land has influenced a change in the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act to lessen multiple barriers for Māori. This research has been conducted through a kaupapa Māori approach, for Māori by Māori.
This case study is concerned with understanding the land block, its isolated location, the barriers of access and how the trust can initiate a sustainable involvement for the owners. The report is based on semi structured interviews and analysis of secondary data.
- 2022
- Kellogg 47
Kiritahi Firmin
The research report is committed to being responsive to Māori as Tangata Whenua and recognises the Tiriti o Waitangi as Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document. The principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as articulated by the Waitangi Tribunal, and the New Zealand Courts provides a framework for how we are to fulfil our obligations under the Te Tiriti daily.
- 2022
- Kellogg 47
Dave Thomson
The aim of this report is to provide an understanding of te ao Māori (the Māori world view) and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) in an agricultural context and to explore how some of the concepts within this area can be utilised in a way that benefits both individual farms and the wider industry.
- 2022
- Kellogg 47
John Foley
The era of trade liberalisation and reform in the 1980’s and 1990’s left New Zealand (NZ) focusing on what it was good at – being efficient commodity producers, and NZ exploited its comparative advantages. This drive for efficiencies created the domestic agenda for science and innovation. For agriculture, to drive productivity gains, the focus was inside the farm gate.
- June 2022
- Nuffield 2021
Caroline Batley
Many rural communities have lost their hospitals, police stations, banks, government departments, schools, sporting clubs and churches. This report explores whether healthcare, employment, crime and education outcomes have worsened for rural residents compared to their urban counterparts due to these changes, and recommends enhancements to public policy to address this.
- 2022
- Kellogg 45
Mihi Harris
This project is concerned with understanding the learnings and insights specific to Tai Tokerau and how they can inform enduring, sustainable agricultural production systems to unlock opportunities for future generations in Waima.
- 2021
- Kellogg 44
Catherine Miller
In this project I considered the question “how might we develop a food system that benefits everyone in
community?”
We have a highly productive and well-functioning export system bringing benefit to the New Zealand economy, yet domestically we have people struggling to access healthy food.
- 2021
- Kellogg 44
Julian Reti Kaukau
This report outlines and identifies two things:
-How can Waikato Maniapoto Māori landowners increase their economic productivity from their whenua (land) and;
-How can this be achieved whilst upholding the values of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and Manaaki Whenua (goodwill to the land).
- 2021
- Kellogg 43
Rebecca Hyde
The aim of this report is to help farmers and rural professionals better understand Māori cultural values and to see how collaborative relationships can be built between farming communities and Rūnanga in the Hurunui district. There is common ground between Māori and farming because of the connection to land. The Hurunui District is covered by two Rūnanga of Ngāi Tahu. Te Rūnanga o Kaikoura, also known as Ngāti Kurī, cover north of the Hurunui River and Te Ngāi Tūahuriri Rūnanga, centred on Tuahiwi, to the South of the Hurunui River (Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu 2021).
- 2021
- Kellogg 43
Clare Easton
The objective of the research is to provide another layer of insight and use this as a platform for further collaboration and conversation – understanding the social impacts (real and perceived) of contrasting primary sector investment in rural Hawke’s Bay – comparing sheep and beef, horticulture, dairy and forestry.
- 2020
- Kellogg 41
Alby Hanson
Through my research, I have sought to understand how government institutions internationally and locally are innovating and experimenting to better understand these perspectives. The value and promise of these innovations is already being demonstrated.
I have also sought to understand farmer perspectives myself, and what matters to them. Through a range of semi- formal interviews, I captured a variety of themes. Views of government, the realities of farming, Māori agribusiness, communication and engagement and community and the importance of people were expressed.
- 2020
- Kellogg 41
Jessica Smith
If our regions are not thriving the prosperity of our people declines. Half of New Zealand’s population live in the regions. It is our regions that generate our economic output through the primary industry. Kiwifruit is the largest horticultural economic contributor and is targeted for significant growth. This research is about the impact on regional … Read more
- 2018
- Kellogg 37
Allister Holmes
It is naïve and self-centered to even consider our selves the owners of land. Land has existed for millennia before we “own” it, and will continue to exist for millennia after we no longer “own” it. We are simply occupiers, users and stewards of it for a fleeting time. Current land stewards should undertake succession … Read more
- 2018
- Kellogg 36