Hua Parakore - September Newsletter 2025
Kia Ora,
He Kai te Rongoā He Rongoā te Kai - Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
In this month’s kōrero, we turn our attention to Hua Parakore - a kaupapa Māori system for organics that is an embodied pathway to re-weaving our relationship with whenua, kai, and community.
Rooted in the understanding of mauri (the life-force that animates land, soil, plants, and people), Hua Parakore invites us to attend to whakapapa (genealogy), wairua (spirit), mana (authority), māramatanga (insight & understanding), Te Ao Tūroa (the natural world) and mauri in tandem - not as separate metrics, but as living threads in a whole.
Developed by Te Waka Kai Ora (National Māori Organics Authority), Hua Parakore is both a food-growing framework and an Indigenous verification system. Grounded in the infinite richness of whānau and hapū, it provides a pathway for growers to tell their kaupapa Māori story of food production.
The six kaupapa (principles) are not rigid rules, but guiding principles drawn from the continuum of mātauranga Māori. When expressed together, they give rise to hua parakore - represented by the colour mā (white), a reminder of infinite possibility, purity, and the triumph of spirit over the physical.
Hua Parakore continues to be innovated by growers through their own tikanga, shared knowledge, and wānanga. It is not just a standard, but a living, relational system that affirms Kai Atua - kai that is pure, traceable, free from contaminants, and grown in harmony with the elements of nature. A pathway for Māori soil and food sovereignty, whilst producing natural food without chemical inputs or GMO.
As one of the attendees to the Learning Environment whakamana celebration so beautifully put it: “It’s not just a standard - it’s about values that harmonise with nature. Hua Parakore kai is Kai Atua, pure and traceable, grown in a safe environment that respects the elements of nature.”
As we take a moment to reflect on the Hua Parakore kaupapa, we hope you enjoy this month’s collection of updates below
Ngā manaakitanga,
- Biome Trust
The six kaupapa (principles) of Hua Parakore, Whakapapa (genealogy), Wairua (spirit), Mana (authority), Māramatanga (insight & understanding), Te Ao Tūroa (the natural world) and Mauri (life-force).
The Hua Parakore tohu (symbol) features on Māori Organic verified projects & kaupapa.
BioFarm, a well-known NZ yoghurt brand based in Palmerston North was the first ever recipient of the Hua Parakore verification - led by founder Cathy Tait-Jamieson. More
The Learning Environment in Whanganui received their Hua Parakore verification in October 2024. More
Te Mahi Māra Hua Parakore: A Māori Food Sovereignty Handbook by Dr Jessica Hutchings, on display at Hua Parakore verified Hapi Cafe in Napier. More
Happen Films short-film Indigenous Food Sovereignty provides an insight into Hua Parakore from the perspective of one of its most knowledgeable practitioners – Dr Jessica Hutchings, whom was one of the researchers who helped develop the framework. Watch
Whakaata Māori has released an 8-part series on Hua Parakore, illuminating the wisdom, practices, and communities who are carrying this kaupapa forward. More
Giftee Updates
Papawhakaritorito Trust features in a collective of Wāhine Māori launching Matiti, Aotearoa’s first Hua Parakore verified wine. More
Tiwaiwaka’s Pā shares insights on the connection between sourcing kai from the forest and the mauri that lives within it. More
Learning Environment has launched their 2024/2025 Impact Report, highlighting outcomes in equity, resilience, & wellbeing. More
Mangaroa Farms is hosting their bi-annual Open Farm Day on Saturday 1st November, featuring market stalls, garden tours & local kai. More
Kelmarna Community Farm is hosting an organic Seedling Sale to to support local home gardeners - Saturday 18th Oct. More
Happen Films is hosting the first screening of The New Peasants in Nelson, Aotearoa - Thursday 13th October. More
Kōanga Institute features the Kōanga Revival Kit including a detailed garden design, management plan, & complete set of heritage seeds for a thriving garden. More
Learning Environment recently sold a truckload of native trees from their nursery, helping sustain their community-focused mahi in education. More
Future Whenua’s Zebulon Horrell is creating a diverse permaculture orchard in one of the latent pastures at Mangaroa Farms. More
Organics New Zealand have released their 2024/2025 Impact Report, including the GE-Free Future Campaign: raising over $200k and submitting 15,000 public submissions. More
Toru Education highlights the upcoming EBANZ (Earth Building Association NZ) conference in Otaki, November 14-16. More
Ruamāhanga Farm Foundation hosted local school groups at He Kotare Nursery, where tamariki explored seed prep, mandala making, and saw where their planted trees were raised. More
The blossoming of the yellow Kūmarahou flower symbolises the coming of kōanga / spring.
Additional News
Donna Kerridge walks us through how to make a healing winter tonic with Kūmarahou. More
Science & Nonduality is hosting screenings of the film Mauri: the Vital Essence in all Beings in Wellington, Hamilton & Kerikeri. More
Predator Free NZ highlights predator trapping by the moon: the influence of maramataka. More
Farmers Footprint NZ highlights glyphosate found in eggs & chicken sold in grocery stores - traced back to GMO poultry feed. More
“He Kai te Rongoā He Rongoā te Kai - Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
