Ko te hau o paitawhiti, ko te hau o paetata ka whakamaua kia tina.

Whakapiri mai, whakatata tata mai, tēnei te kai, he hua nō te haumako o Muka Tangata e mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa.

A new organisation to represent food and fibre in vocational education

As we move through the final months of Muka Tangata as the Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector, we're preparing for the stand-up of Industry Skills Boards (ISBs).

A new ISB will represent the food and fibre sector in vocational education and training from January 2026.

In July, the Tertiary Education Commission announced the members of the Establishment Advisory Group for the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board.

This group has been formed to lead the foundational work required to ensure the Food and Fibre ISB is ready to operate from 1 January 2026.

The appointed members of the Food and Fibre EAG are:

• Tracy Johnston (Chair)  - viticulture

• Antony Heywood  - horticulture

• Toby Williams  - agriculture

Each member brings valuable industry experience and expertise, and their leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future direction of the ISB.

We look forward to working closely with the establishment group over the coming months as they lead the important work of standing up the ISB and laying the groundwork for its long-term success.

We wish to acknowledge the relationships we have nurtured together throughout this kaupapa, and the trust you have placed in us to walk alongside you. 

As our role nears its closure, we will be reaching out to you directly to ensure these connections are upheld with care and respect. 

At the same time, we encourage iwi and Māori to engage with the new ISBs, so that your voices, aspirations, and priorities continue to shape the vocational education system into the future.

Tautoko Toolkit

It’s exciting for us to see the uptake of our Tautoko Toolkit, an online programme to develop Māori leadership in food and fibre industries. Participants are guided through the programme which encourages personal reflection and collective learning through a Māori lens.

It is backed up with a downloadable pocketbook and a guidebook for facilitators and mentors who may be supporting the learner.

Tautoko Toolkit will remain online and free to use into the future.

Iwitanga micro-credential: now available for delivery

The iwi-specific micro-credential that we developed in collaboration with Te Pou Oranga o Whakatōhea is now listed on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework.

Ready to be developed into a training programme, the iwitanga micro-credential has been developed in a way that allows other iwi to adapt it, using their own māturanga to suit their unique needs.

“It was very important for Whakatōhea to work alongside Muka Tangata to develop this iwitanga micro-credential,” says Hohepa Hei from Te Pou Oranga o te Whakatōhea. 

“Being able to add value to the existing qualification by formally acknowledging our Whakatōheatanga and providing additional credits for our whānau engaged in our kaupapa is amazing.”

The iwitanga micro-credential is now available for delivery and can be viewed on the NZ Qualifications and Credentials Framework.

For more information on registering micro-credentials and gaining accreditation, visit our website.

Resources and publications

We are pleased to highlight a selection of Māori-focused resources and publications. 

These have been developed to reflect te ao Māori perspectives and aspirations, and ways of working that ensure our approaches are grounded in tikanga, responsive to whānau, hapū and iwi needs, and aligned with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

They provide practical insights and guidance for education, workforce development, and community initiatives.

• Skills and Training for Māori Agribusiness
• Māori workforce in the food and fibre sector
• Iwitanga micro-credential
• Tautoko Toolkit
• Attracting and retaining Māori staff

As the whakataukī reminds us, “Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao.”

By engaging with these Māori-focused resources, we are equipping ourselves and our communities to thrive, not only for today but for the generations to come.

Nō reira, ka nui te mihi ki ngā ringa raupā me ngā hinengaro i whai wāhi ki ēnei whakaputanga, ā, e tono ana kia tirohia, kia kōrerohia, kia whakamahia hei painga mō tātou katoa.

Seafood review wānanga

We were honoured to work alongside representatives from Tio Ohiwa, Tapuwae Roa, Cawthron Institute and Open Ocean - Whakatōhea Mussels for our initial wananga on a Te Ao Māori strand within seafood qualifications. We visited the Tio Ohiwa farm, as well as the Open Ocean processing plant in Opōtiki, before being hosted by Te Tāwharau o Whakatōhea.

Korero was wide-ranging and in-depth, focusing on the role of Māori within the seafood industry and how matauranga could be included within formal qualifications.

We thank Amelia Austin, Wini and Simon Geddes, Te Rerekohu Tuterangiwhiu, Te Aomihia Walker, Paula Simeon and Hohepa Hei for their time and contributions to this kaupapa. Special mention to mangement and staff at Tio Ohiwa and Whakatōhea Mussels for hosting our onsite visits to view their operations.

Te Arawa Arataua Māori Agribusiness Summit
'Where Maōri land, industry and innovation meet'

We recently attended the Te Arawa Arataua Summit in Rotorua. The summit brought together landowners, industry, and government to tackle the critical issues facing Māori in the primary sector.

Curated to elevate grassroots voices, the two-day event blended keynote sessions, panels, case studies, covering climate change, trade, collective strategy, and innovation. Participants from whenua Māori and iwi authorities, industry and government tackled critical issues facing Māori in the primary sector.

The summit aimed to chart a pathway forward - one grounded in kaupapa Māori, collaboration, and practical solutions.

Nō reira ka tikina ake te kōrero e ki ana "Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi", with your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive.  

We thank you for your ongoing support of Te Haumako. 

Ngā mihi 

Muka Tangata 

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