Kai Security: A Kaupapa Māori critique and reconceptualisation of food security and food sovereignty definitions and assessment frameworks in Aotearoa

Aim: In pre-colonial Māori society, traditional Māori kai systems were sustainable, complex, and maintained hauora Māori. Māori kai systems were, and continue to be, deeply embedded in a spiritual, symbiotic relationship between tangata and whenua. However, the violent processes of colonisation and capitalism had drastic effects on Māori kai systems, kai security and kai sovereignty. Māori kai practices, traditions and values were forcibly assimilated to a Western capitalist food system, leading to a disproportionate experience of food insecurity and detrimental health outcomes between Māori and non-Māori. Despite increasing disparities, prevailing food security definitions and assessment frameworks in Aotearoa New Zealand remain rooted in colonial and capitalist contexts. This research aims to develop a Kaupapa Māori definition and assessment framework of ‘kai security’, to reduce inequities in the current kai/food system in Aotearoa New Zealand. Grounded in Māori worldviews, knowledges, values and realities, kai security includes both existing structures of food security with Māori aspirations of kai sovereignty in order to inform future strategies, interventions and policies in Aotearoa New Zealand. Objectives of this research include: 1. Understand inequities in kai/food security and kai/food sovereignty, and the mechanisms through which these inequities are created or maintained in Aotearoa. 2. Identify Māori worldviews, knowledge, values, traditions, spaces and places that comprise Māori understandings of kai and kai systems. 3. Develop a Kaupapa Māori kai security definition and framework that can more effectively identify, define and assess determinants and indicators of kai security and kai sovereignty for Māori. 4. Use the Kaupapa Māori kai security definition and framework to inform Kaupapa Māori interventions, strategies and policies can more effectively address inequities in our kai/food system in Aotearoa. Methods: Grounded in Kaupapa Māori research methodologies, this research utilised a qualitative approach. Eighteen participants from across the motu participated in one-on-one kōrero/interviews which focused on participant perspectives and expertise regarding kai/food security, kai/food sovereignty, traditional kai and kai practices, mātauranga Māori, and hauora Māori. An inductive thematic approach to analyse the data was employed using NVIVO software. This method allowed for the identification and exploration of key themes, connections, and insights that emerged from the participants' kōrero. The analysed data was contextualised within international Indigenous literature, with a focus on Indigenous peoples in Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand. Incorporating international perspectives established a comprehensive understanding of the topic and situated the development of a kai security definition and assessment framework within a broader context of Indigenous research. Overall Findings and Recommendations: This research reveals a significant gap in culturally responsive food security research in Aotearoa New Zealand. Three areas of potential food system transformation were identified and the inclusion of colonisation as a key determinant of food security was highlighted, necessitating a decolonising and reindigenising approach. Firstly, a working definition of ‘kai security’ is presented, grounded in Māori worldviews, values, knowledge and realities. Secondly, a proposed assessment framework of kai security is developed to broaden indicators and cultural considerations of Aotearoa New Zealand's food security literature and inform food security strategies, interventions and policies. Kai security encompasses all aspects of Māori kai systems and rangatiratanga, while also acknowledging existing food security structures and frameworks. Kai security is a definition and framework centres Māori food systems, practises and solutions to inform an equitable food future in Aotearoa New Zealand. Conclusions: These findings advocate for a paradigm shift towards a more inclusive and culturally responsive approach to food security definition, assessment and implementation in Aotearoa. The research highlights the comprehensive nature of Māori kai systems, highlighting the importance of centring Māori worldviews, perspectives, knowledge, and aspirations. The importance of decolonising and reindigenising the food system in Aotearoa New Zealand is central to creating equitable experiences of food security between Māori and non-Māori. To translate these findings into tangible outcomes, future research should prioritise practical implementation strategies into policy, bridging the gap between research and action.

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