18th Jun 2024 Gemini 1.5 Pro
Dr. Jessica Hutchings, a kaupapa Māori researcher and advocate, discusses the concept of Māori organics, known as Hua Parakore, which translates to "pure product." This system goes beyond Western organic standards by emphasizing the spiritual and cultural connections to food and farming. Hutchings highlights the importance of "kai atua," which signifies consuming food as an offering from the deities associated with different landscapes. She argues that Western organic standards, while promoting sustainable practices, often overlook the historical context of agricultural colonisation in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
"So what the Hua Parakore is aiming to do is to turn that tide and to make a change and to bring a conscious awareness to organics in Aotearoa that actually there's another layer here that's indigeneity and although you might be practicing regenerative agriculture or organics, where's the social responsibility if you do that without even an awareness or an inclusion or a return of benefit back to local communities."
Hutchings points out that the emphasis on monocultures in New Zealand agriculture perpetuates the colonial legacy of erasing indigenous diversity. This erasure, she argues, extends to knowledge systems, languages, and cultural practices. She links the commodification of nature through GMOs to the historical commodification of enslaved Africans, stating that both are driven by capitalist systems that exploit indigenous communities and natural resources for profit.
Hutchings expresses deep concern about the resurgence of the pro-GMO lobby in New Zealand. She argues that GMOs represent another wave of colonisation, termed "biopiracy," which seeks to control and commodify biological resources at a molecular level. She emphasizes the profound connection Māori have with nature, viewing it not as separate but as an extension of their whakapapa, or genealogy.
"So, you know, our Māori worldview, and I definitely do, you know, and we're just as diverse as Pākehā people, as all communities. There isn't a singular indigenous view, but there are very clear instructions from our ancestors through our whakatauki, through our proverbs, through our pūrākau, through our stories, through our mōteatea, through our chants, through our waiata, through our songs. So although there isn't a... our unified Māori view, the instructions are there for us in terms of guiding us around what to think."
She critiques the argument that genetic modification is no different from traditional farming practices, asserting that introducing foreign DNA across species fundamentally disrupts the natural order and raises significant ethical questions. Hutchings underscores the Māori concepts of mauri (life force), mana (prestige), and whakapapa, which are inherently intertwined with their worldview. She argues that GMOs threaten the mauri of organisms, diminish their inherent mana, and disrupt their whakapapa by altering their genetic lineage.
Hutchings advocates for an indigenous feminist perspective, grounded in the concept of mana wahine, to address the challenges posed by GMOs and agricultural colonisation. She highlights the historical and ongoing role of indigenous women as protectors of nature and advocates for the well-being of their communities. She emphasizes that mana wahine is not bound by gender but represents an ideology and philosophical stance that prioritizes the values and principles traditionally upheld by Māori women.
"Indigenous women have always spoken up for the rights of nature and have always spoken up and been advocates and activists for the well-being of their families and their communities."
Hutchings sees the current movement for rematriation, particularly strong in Turtle Island (North America), as a powerful expression of indigenous women's leadership in reclaiming the sacred connection to the Earth. She believes that indigenous women and their knowledge systems hold the key to restoring balance and harmony to food systems and communities.
Hutchings draws attention to the urgent need to recognize the sovereign rights of nature, specifically highlighting the importance of soil, or Hine Ahuone in Māori tradition. She laments the degradation of soil due to intensive agricultural practices and calls for a shift in mindset that views soil as a living ancestor deserving of respect and protection.
"Me aro koe ki te haa o Hine ahuone. Pay heed to the dignity of women. Me aro koe ki te haa o Hine ahuone. And so if we really are paying heed to the dignity of women, as that whakataukī, the instruction from our ancestor tells us, then in our country, in Aotearoa, because of agricultural colonisation, she has been so degraded, so degraded."
She argues that granting personhood status to soil would fundamentally change how we interact with the land, prompting a move away from extractive practices towards a more harmonious and reciprocal relationship. This shift, she believes, is crucial in addressing the global soil crisis and ensuring the well-being of future generations.
Hutchings discusses the Hua Parakore system as a model for decolonizing agriculture and promoting indigenous sovereignty. She explains that unlike conventional certification processes, Hua Parakore emphasizes community-led verification and accountability. This approach recognizes the importance of collective wisdom and the interconnectedness of people, land, and culture.
"He hara te tō te takitahi, engari he tō te takitini. It's not the strength of one, but it's the strength of many."
She emphasizes the value of indigenous knowledge systems in navigating the challenges of our time and cautions against the commodification and misappropriation of these knowledges. Hutchings calls for genuine allyship, urging non-indigenous people to listen, learn, and support indigenous leadership in the movement for food sovereignty and the restoration of a respectful and reciprocal relationship with the Earth.
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