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Kia ora, thank you for joining us at He Whenua Rongo – an Indigenous Seed, Soil and Food Sovereignty Symposium, held in Tāmaki Makaurau in April 2024.

This event was designed to support research and practices that champion kai atua and deliver biodiversity, food security and cultural heritage.

Did you join us for some of the three-day wānanga? Check out the image gallery above. Photographer James Rua captures how we collaborated with other farmers, Indigenous communities, local food producers, activists, hua parakore producers, Indigenous researchers and policymakers. Together, we got the chance to explore, celebrate and connect with the wisdom of preserving and promoting seed freedom and diversity, regenerating soils and restoring Aotearoa’s cultural food systems.

Topics covered include free trade and agriculture, Indigenous seed sovereignty, GMOs in food and farming, post-capitalist economies, hua parakore and community empowerment.

As the New Zealand Government moves to introduce GMOs into our food system and our communities are rapidly impacted by a changing climate, never has the time been more crucial for all of us to continue to work together to collaborate and drive this movement forward so we can create resilient food futures for all.

If you would like to join our movement, sign up to Papawhakaritorito Trust's e-news to find out when our next activation will take place. 

PROGRAMME

Day one: Thursday, 11 April 2024

Globalisation, free trade and post-capitalist economies

Day one begins in the international context and looks at the impacts globalisation, capitalism and free trade agreements are having on Indigenous rights, the rights of nature, food, farming and our sacred traditional medicines. Indigenous resistance movements and strategies are discussed and pathways to developing alternative post-capitalist economies where food, farming and nature are free from capitalist patriarchy are explored.

Venue: Te Mahurehure Marae

 


Day two: Friday, 12 April 2024

International Indigenous Seed, Soil and Food Sovereignty Symposium

Day two brings the International context to the fore, we will hear about strategies and movements for seed, soil and food sovereignty from other parts of the world. What can we learn from indigenous communities to nurture our seeds, soil and Indigenous foodways?

 Venue: Te Mahurehure Marae

 


Day three: Saturday, 13 April 2024

He Whenua Rongo: Hua Parakore and growing local seed, soil and food sovereign economies

The focus of day three is on the Hua Parakore – Māori organic systems. On day three the symposium moves to Papatūānuku Kōkiri marae, a Hua Parakore verfieid marae and māra kai in South Auckland. We will learn about the many kaupapa taking place on the marae and hear from those on the Hua Parakore verification journey, including tangata tiriti. Day three is all about the local-growing Hua Parakore as a movement of resistance to return food and farming to the hands of Indigenous and local communities.

Venue: Papatūanuku Kokiri Marae

A full programme is NOW AVAILABLE

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Kaikōrero | Speakers

Dr Vandana Shiva

Founder, Navdanya

Dr Jessica Hutchings

Director, Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust, Te Waka Kai Ora & Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Annette Sykes

Pūkenga, Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Aroha Te Pareake Mead

Pūkenga, Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Emeritus Professor Jane Kelsey

Pūkenga, Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Maui Solomon

Pūkenga, Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Donna Kerridge

Pūkenga, Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

India Logan-Riley

Kaihautū, Ngā Toki Whakarururanga

Teina Boasa Dean

Tiamana, Te Waka Kai Ora

Lea Zeise

Co-founder, Braiding the Sacred

Karen Mapusua

President, IFOAM-Organics International

Geneva Hildreth

Kaitiaki, Te Waka Kai Ora

Cathy Taite Jamieson

Kaitiaki, Te Waka Kai Ora

Pounamu Skelton

Kaitiaki, Te Waka Kai Ora

Dr. Melanie Mark-Shadbolt

Co-founder, Te Tira Whakamātaki


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