Bioprospecting for Gold

 

July 2005

 

Indigenous flavours and traditional knowledge seem to be all the rage: Culinary flavours of pikopiko and horopito, kawakawa beer, medicinal Manuka oil from the East Coast, traditional plant medicine in Northland, and the revival of Māori potatoes, are just some of the business ventures being explored by Māori. These commercial ventures aren’t just about a quick buck but are backed by an ethic of sustainable Māori economic development. They are also backed by Dr Meto Leach of New Zealand Crop and Food Research (CFR).

Dr Leach (Te Aitanga ā Mahaki and Ngati Konohi) leads Māori Research at CFR, and provides iwi with scientific and marketing expertise. He wants to see ever more sustainable commercial enterprises run by Māori, based on their own traditional knowledge and indigenous resources.

Leach also takes the initiative to ‘bioprospect’ for new commercial opportunities, and is currently hoping to work with the five Northland iwi to research pharmaceutical potential of their rongoa (traditional medicinal knowledge).

Says Leach of the indigenous product business: “It has to be export-led. It’s about a change of mindset, about developing a product for the export market – and not necessarily promoting the traditional method of preparation [but] refining it for a specific market.” His latest culinary venture: “I‘m trying to develop an export market for rotten corn - kānga pirau, or kāngawai. We’ve looked at some markets in the EU, and we had an interest in Korea.”

“Commercialisation” is no longer a dirty word to Māori, according to Leach, and these days partnership, not plunder, is meant to be the philosophy. CFR is “committed to doing the right thing from a Māori perspective. It’s trying to be proactive from a Treaty of Waitangi perspective, and a Wai262 perspective (the claim around indigenous flora and fauna). It’s progressive for a Crown research institute to initiate that, given that most would look for direction from government. We’re leading the charge in that area.”

In his approaches to iwi, “I've never been rebuffed, well not to date anyway. The thrust is coming from Māori who have an interest in exploring all opportunities. I think Māori are in a better position to embrace commercialisation now. There’s a greater acceptance of that now – for right or wrong, but it’s the case. Māori are specifically interested in Māori branding. And Māori are interested in better utilising their lands.”