Economic Development

Intern: Jonothan Rau

Supervisor: Dr Shaun Awatere

Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga/Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research

The theory of value research platform is concerned with considering:

In this platform research, our focus makes the distinction between ‘kai’ as a culturally defined Māori notion and western interpretations of ‘food’.

The overarching research platform questions include:

What current methods do Māori (particularly those on low incomes and/or living in conditions of poverty) use to manage money?

What financial products and services are likely to be effective for Māori and how might these be successfully implemented?

This project explores the role that enterprise plays in indigenous self-determination. In New Zealand, we have chosen to examine Māori business networks (MBNs), which we argue are a manifestation of this struggle, but suffer from the absence of a sustainable business model.