Good People, Good Kaupapa: A Māori kiwifruit grower collective and the value of its partnerships in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

The concept of partnering to achieve mutually prosperous outcomes can have significant implications for Indigenous economies. The purpose of this study, as part of my doctoral research, is to explore what ‘good’ looks like in an Indigenous/non-Indigenous business partnership from a Māori worldview, using the case of the Māori Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (MKGI) and Zespri International Limited (Zespri) kiwifruit export partnership to Hawaii. It has implications for Māori and non-Māori partnerships in Aotearoa (New Zealand), and may have wider applications for Indigenous and non-Indigenous partnerships globally. Semi-structured interviews with participants involved in the MKGI-Zespri partnership were conducted from September 2024. The MKGI Executive Committee, a nationally representative body of Māori growers, supported the design and development of the research project and remains a key research partner. Interviews were transcribed and analysed for common themes. Existing relationships, on either an individual or organisational level, accelerated the speed of positive partnership outcomes across the kiwifruit value chain. All Māori participants agreed that forming a partnership is impossible without first establishing an alignment of values. Participants also agreed that partnerships were successful when they were built on shared values and for the long-term. Some saw opportunities to work with other Indigenous cultures around the world as a unique point of difference, and worthy of further exploration. Using MKGI’s, and others’, success in today’s globalised world, how can we demonstrate this value, and leverage it to create new (and better) partnerships that enable Indigenous Peoples to thrive, today and tomorrow?