Holdco chief executive Shayne Walker (left) and Riddet Institute director Professor Harjinder Singh. Photo / Whakaata Māori
Holdco chief executive Shayne Walker (left) and Riddet Institute director Professor Harjinder Singh. Photo / Whakaata Māori
Ngāti Porou Holding Company (Holdco) and the Riddet Institute have joined forces to better support food innovation and the development of Ngāti Porou iwi.
Holdco owns and administers $240 million in commercial assets including equity investments, farming, seafood, horticulture, mānuka, property and tourism businesses.
Holdco chief executive Shayne Walker says the scientific co-creation partnership with the Massey University-based Riddet aims to generate sustainable profits for the benefit of Ngāti Porou now and in the future as part of the tribe's E Tipu E Rea strategy.
"It's about building climate resilience and also market resilience into the East Coast so we can manage things like transport for weather events, where we just can't get across the roads. So considering how we might process high-value products on the coast as well.
The partnership will include diversification of iwi land use and the continued development of high-value products and supply chains by leveraging local resources.
"Ngati Porou traditionally has some of the most fertile lands in Aotearoa, if not the world, and has a long history of growing kai that is both natural, healthy, and sustainable," Walker said.
"There is an enormous opportunity for the whenua to become more productive through the production of kai. The strategic opportunity with Riddet is to provide us with support for science and innovation, a connection to experts to help us try and realise that by improving the productivity on the East Coast."
Kai innovation and development is key for Ngāti Porou's new partnership with Riddet. Photo / Whakaata Māori
While Riddet Institute is based at Massey's Palmerston North campus, Walker says its relationship with other universities in Aotearoa provides opportunities for Ngāti Porou uri to engage in new career pathways in the food production sector, particularly in agricultural and food science and innovation.
Ngāti Porou Holdco has internship programmes already in place for rangatahi, and more is expected as a result of this new partnership.
"Three or four of those internships are going to focus in and around this relationship with Riddet and others, Plants and Food as an example and MPI have been fantastic, so that we can really understand the challenges, but also the opportunities and the E Tipu E Rea consideration," Walker said.
"It will keep going. Soon we will be looking at another three or four internship opportunities for whānau, not just rangatahi but those that are in those pathways already. And challenging some of our partners to consider that whilst traditional internships have been focused around whānau at university, we want to break the mould a little bit and actually consider what those might be for whānau that are still living on the coast and will stay there or those who might want to move back."
Riddet Institute is a world-class food science research centre at the frontier of food materials science, nutrition, and health, and develops the science leaders of tomorrow to ensure an innovative and vibrant food sector and long-lasting socio-economic benefits for all of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Institute director Professor Harjinder Singh says it is delighted to collaborate with Ngāti Porou.
"A strategic partnership with Ngati Porou is an effective way for us to support academic pathways facilitating Maori research scholarship. Together with the potential from indigenous innovation and new food product development, we also hope to support the iwi's sustainable economic growth and future direction."
