Why Mahinga Kai?

Whakatauki (Proverb)

Toitū te marae a Tāne
Toitū te marae a Tangaroa
Toitū te iwi

If the world of Tāne (all living things on land) endures
If the marae of Tangaroa (the lakes, rivers and sea) endures
The people endure

This whakataukī (proverb) represents the underlying philosophy for food production practiced by Ngai Tahu - an indigenous people  found in Te Waipounamu - the South Island of New Zealand.

What is Mahinga Kai?

Mahinga kai refers to traditional and contemporary foods that have been hunted, fished, gathered, and grown, by certified Ngāi Tahu suppliers. 

Mahinga kai is at the heart of Ngāi Tahu culture and identity.  Further, mahinga kai is at the cornerstone of Ngai Tahu spiritual, cultural, social, and economic well-being, and a symbol of our continuing relationship with the traditions and history that place us on the land, with our waters and tie us together as an indigenous people.

Who is this website for?

What are the Mahinga Kai Production Guidelines?

In summary, Ngai Tahu accredited producers (supplying mahinga kai) manage the ecosystems from which their mahinga kai is derived in a way that benefits the life supporting quality and productive capacity of those ecosystems and the species that live within them ‘ki uta ki tai’, so that they will continue to be available without damaging the wider environment for the present and future generations:

“mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei”
(for us and those after us).

The ecological wisdom that Ngāi Tahu accredited producers use to grow, gather, hunt and harvest and process their food products is based on a thousand years of history and cultural traditions that have evolved to place sustainability at the heart of production practices. These traditions have evolved to encompass a wide range of traditional and contemporary food producing activities as new technologies and species have become available over time and have become adapted to the ecosystems of Te Waipounamu.

The kaiwhakatipu (producer) needs to ensure that they protect the wairua (spiritual integrity) and mauri (vitality and life creating capacity) of ecosystems within which they work so that they do not suffer any significant negative external effects.

The five key mātāpono (principles) are:

• Hauora (health),
• Kaitiakitanga (sustainable management),
• Whanaungatanga (fairness),
• Kaikōkiritanga (care) and
• Tikanga (cultural ecological wisdom).

These principles guide the way Ngāi Tahu food producers manage the ecosystems from which their mahinga kai is derived.  The goal is to sustain and improve the life supporting quality of ecosystems and productive  species and encourage relationships between these to form a unique whole ecosystem ‘ki uta ki tai’ (from the mountains to the sea) kaitiakitanga (sustainable management) perspective.

More about the production guidelines and mātāpono can be read on the Mahinga Kai Production Guidelines, including a downloadable copy of the full Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Mahinga Kai Production Guidelines Document.