Blog 3 / Rourou > Moumou

Rourou: small food basket

Moumou: to waste/ wasteful

Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua

As man disappears from sight, the land remains

The holistic values of te ao Māori (Māori worldview) are evident from this whakatauki; values deserving of a place alongside contemporary issues such as food waste and the circular economy (CE). The insight and connectedness of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems) to Papatuanuku (earth mother) offers insight into understanding natural systems and their interconnectedness, as well as the role that a holistic value system plays in the way we are responding to local and global climate issues such as food waste.

The idiom, 'do not bite the hand that feeds you' has its roots in the notion that we are connected to all life and that our actions have consequences – that one should not disrespect that which provides it with nourishment. More literally, it resonates with food loss and waste in that we should not be exploiting, over-farming, and then wasting the food that our planet provides us with. Rather, we should be growing, harvesting and eating food in a way that aims to do good and enhance natural capital. One of the three key components of the CE, as set out by the Ellen MacArthur foundation is that it regenerates natural systems. This is a space where indigenous values and philosophy should be learned from. Te ao Māori hold a reciprocity-based worldview of our interactions with the world and a core belief that we as humans are relevant because of our connection to the natural world. It therefore becomes paramount that a harmony exists between living systems.

The fact that the world’s remaining areas of high biodiversity overlap with land managed by indigenous peoples urges questions to be asked of western resource management practices and calls for attention to be paid to indigenous processes instead. Across the Pacific, such systems are called Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK); “a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment” (Berkes 1999, p. 8). These are unique location-specific knowledge pools which can inform governments and the science community, and in doing so, work collectively on the issue of food waste, and ultimately the global issue of climate change.

Mātauranga Māori is becoming recognised as a TEK; a way of solving problems, researching and moving forward as a country. It is part of a general pool of knowledge which can provide a wealth of insight if it were to be integrated with western scientific knowledge systems. The Māori worldview and that of many other indigenous peoples is genealogically focused; where the past is looked at to prepare for the future, and a person’s foundation set by their whakapapa and tūpuna (ancestors) (Ka’ai & Higgins, 2004). According to Ka’ai & Higgins (2004, p.13), it is a “holistic and cyclical” worldview, and thus it differs from the present dominant linear way of doing and making things. It is holistic in the sense that all things within a system (physical, biological, social, mental, spiritual) cannot be determined or explained as parts alone, and cyclic in the sense that actions, gifts and behaviours are reciprocated to strive for harmony and balance. It comes back to the concept of whakapapa and the connection to all life that this encompasses.

Present issues that society is facing globally could find answers in these knowledge systems; in tikanga Māori (the Māori way of doing). It is clear that alternative solutions to current problems are needed and closing this gap between science and culture has the potential to create real, positive change. Indigenous peoples’ knowledge offers this and more; specifically, solutions founded on different principles than upon those which our current problems were created.

One such example of cultural beliefs influencing circular business practices (to design out waste) is Mokai based milk company, Miraka. Their own values and the self-identified role as kaitiaki (guardians) has guided their business decisions, and this in turn has translated into industrial symbiosis. Renewable energy from nearby geothermal steam fields powers the production of their milk powder, and the organic waste from this process is composted at a nearby worm farm where it is turned into worm castings. These castings are sent to a local native plant nursery and end up being used for local waterway planting. The process of mātauranga Māori here beautifully demonstrates the circularity of resources. It highlights the interconnectedness between our actions and the natural world, and how an indigenous approach to business can result in a domino effect of benefits for both the community and environment.

Source: Wix Images

In a TED talk by Curtis Bristowe, the value of indigenous knowledge is explored through the observations of a migratory bird called the ‘Kua’. He observes important skills and lessons to be learned from the strength of this bird, highlighting the role of environment as a teacher in indigenous knowledge systems; the natural world informing actions and behaviour. Through the incredible flight path of this bird, and the use of collective strength of the flock to enable such a journey, he explains that three key principles make for the success of such a feat, and therefore any challenge that we as a collective may face. Two existing principles must first be in place; the presence of a collective vision and leadership, and the connection of the following three concepts by wairua tanga (spirituality). The first guiding principle is kawa; this goal unifies and collectivises peoples’ thinking. Tikanga is next, and is focused on sharing collective beliefs and values. In our current landscape where we are affected by the actions of other people, and countries, tikanga is integral because if we share the same values and aspirations, the journey becomes much easier. This ties in with the third concept, kaupapa; collective endeavour. Kaupapa is about using specific beliefs for specific endeavours which, in this case, is to reduce food waste and loss via a circular economy approach. Ours is based around the centrality of the need for food, and therefore for a planet that can provide and nourish us with this. This endeavour requires the involvement of all members in society in order to achieve success.

Para kore is a New Zealand organisation whose mission is to strive toward zero waste behaviours within marae and among Maori communities across Aotearoa. They have a “kaupapa based on whakapapa to Papatūānuku, expressed through an experienced and skilled team who are passionate about, and committed to, achieving a zero waste Aotearoa.” This organisation has kawa, tikanga and kaupapa circulating through its structure, and a bold vision that, “Hei te 2025 e whai ana ngā marae katoa o Aotearoa i te Para Kore,” “By 2025, all marae and Māori organisations in New Zealand are working towards zero waste.” Rather than a formula or a theoretical framework to guide practice, indigenous peoples like Māori use a guiding philosophy that positions collective and spiritual ahead of individual and material. With this in mind, our collective vision as a country, but also as a planet could do to learn from indigenous knowledge, where connection is favoured over isolation. A circular system in which everything is connected could therefore be the change that food waste in Aotearoa needs.

Ultimately, if more businesses adopt tikanga practices, honouring both a connection to our environment and our relationships with people, a circular economy (and thus a more reciprocal relationship with the planet) could be paved. There needs to be a passing of the mic and in doing so a passing of power to indigenous peoples. These are the people who can offer the masses a solution because they were not the ones who created the system and subsequent dilemmas that we are facing.

Source: Wix Images