Cultural attributes of Ngāi Tahu food and the international consumer cultures that will recognise them

Abstract

There is a general consensus that significantly more export dollars can be earned by Aotearoa agri-food products if their underlying qualities are better communicated to consumers. Among Aotearoa’s high-quality producers and processors, Māori agribusinesses are emerging as national leaders. Among these leaders is Ngāi Tahu Farming, a subsidiary of Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation owned by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. This report demonstrates that food produced by Māori agribusiness has attributes substantively different from Western approaches, but which resonate with a number of cultural traditions and food movements around the world. The report aims to identify consumer markets that value cultural attributes that Ngāi Tahu has to offer in their food products, which may represent premium markets for Ngāi Tahu food. Although the focus is on Ngāi Tahu, the findings have wider relevance for Māori agribusinesses in Aotearoa.