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Introduction A Snapshot of Māori in the food and fibre sector Ngā Kaupapa - broad areas of work

Introduction

Karakia Timatanga

Kia whakamānawatia a Ranginui e tū iho nei, a Papatūānuku e takoto ake nei me ā rāua uri e whakamarumaru nei i a tātou. Ko ngā hua ēnei o rātou mā ka ahu mai i te rangi, ka whano mai i te whenua, ka tākiri mai i ngā wai, ka pupuhi mai i ngā hau me te taiao e ora nei tātou. E tika ana kia mihia rātou mā, ngā atua māori e noho nei hei kaiwhakamarumaru i ngā wai me ngā whenua taurikura puta noa i Aotearoa. Kia kī ake i konei - Toitū te whenua, whatungarongaro te tangata.

Tihei Mauriora.

We honour Ranginui above and Papatūānuku lying here before us and their progeny who shelter and protect us. These are the benefits derived from the natural elements – from the sky, the land, from the water and the winds and the environment that give us life. It is fitting that we acknowledge them all, the natural elements that act as protectors of the waters and the prosperous land throughout Aotearoa. As echoed in the expression – While the land endures, people disappear from sight.

Here is the breath of life.

Ka Mua Ka Muri

Our plan is called Te Haumakpo – named for the most rich and fertile soil used to grow strong and sturdy food and fibre. Unless we plant in and nurture the most fertile, productive, and richest whenua at the right time, what develops will not be strongest it can be.

In Te Haumako, we are guided by the whakataukī Ka mua, ka muri - Walking backward into the future.

By reflecting on the lessons and achievements of the past, we gain valuable insights into what we need to do for the soil to be rich and fertile so that Māori, and all in Aotearoa, flourish in the food and fibre sector. LEARN MORE 

 

Te Haumako

Te Haumako brings together work from across Muka Tangata which has been informed by gathering information, ideas and stories from iwi and hapū Māori, ahu whenua trusts, industry leaders, employers, and kaimahi and ākonga. It includes actions that are already underway as part of the 14 industry workforce development plans released by Muka Tangata in 2023: mukatangata.workforceskills.nz. We’ve also drawn on existing research and have partnered in new research with other organisations such as the Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence.

We have a partnership with the Federation of Māori Authorities (FOMA) and have benefited from growing our understanding of their members’ challenges and opportunities. We have trolled through existing strategies and plans produced by others from Māori organisations, food and fibre industry organisations and across government agencies to examine what they contain that Muka Tangata can support. This is an export-led sector, with high productivity, and Māori are big players in it as both owners and kaimahi. We have a $23 billion asset base (and growing) in the sector and in some industries, more than 20% of the workforce1.

Overall, the food and fibre sector workforce is small compared to other sectors but has a big impact on our country’s GDP. In 2021, over $130,000 in export revenue was generated for every worker in the sector, compared to just under $11,000 per worker across all other sectors. As a result, investment in the food and fibre workforce generates much greater returns to the nation than any other investment. We need a system that directs investment in line with returns and Māori need to be at the forefront to determine how to direct that investment well.

In Te Haumako, we focus on specific initiatives and ways in which Māori-led and focused improvements to vocational education and training will support Māori to continue to grow. 

Full downloadable version available here

Te Haumako PDF 19MB
1. Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Te Pūtea Matua (2021) Te Ōhanga Māori 2018, The Māori Economy 2018.

Ngā Kaupapa - broad areas of work

Ngā Kaupapa - ngā wāhanga mahi

The four broad areas of work that will be ongoing for Muka Tangata are: Qualifications and training that work for Māori; Support for ākonga Māori; Māori leadership; Promoting the industries and supporting pathways within them. The underlying themes that sit within these areas are:

  • An understanding that Māori-led solutions work for Māori, and thus for the whole sector.
  • The huge research base that indicates the positive difference that incorporating tirohanga Māori, including mātauranga Māori, can make to learning and skill development.
  • Our food and fibre industries want more skilled kaimahi Māori. Given that, by 2040, about one quarter of the potential workforce under 40 will be Māori, the ways in which the vocational education system works for ongoing Māori training and skill development is essential.
  • In many cases, the needs of Māori and others often do not differ greatly across the different industry groups of the food and fibre sector. But potential solutions could vary significantly, and those solutions should be developed alongside each other.
Pā harakeke - we are not alone

As well as the four broad areas below, we know we can support strategies developed by others. Just as a harakeke is stronger when it is planted with others, so too are plans that are created with consideration to others. That is why Muka Tangata wants to collaborate with other organisations with an interest in Māori thriving in the food and fibre sector. Read more 

Qualifications and training that work for Māori

Ngā tohu mātauranga me te whakangungu whai hua mō te Māori

Read more about Qualifications and training that work for Māori

Supporting ākonga Māori to succeed in training and in the workforce

Te tautoko i te ākonga Māori kia puta tōna ihu i te whakangungu i te ohumahi hoki

Read more about Supporting ākonga Māori to succeed in training and in the workforce

Māori as leaders

Te Māori hei kaiārahi

Read more about Māori as leaders

Promoting the industries and supporting pathways within them

Te whakatairanga i ngā ahumahi me te tautoko i ngā ara o roto

Read more about Promoting the industries and supporting pathways within them

Pā harakeke - we are not alone

Pā harakeke - ehara ko mātou anake

Read more about Pā harakeke - we are not alone