TAIAO ORA
Restoring the natural world together
A new way forward for Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibres sector
A better future for Te Taiao
We have a proud history of working on the land and water to produce some of the world’s finest food and fibres products. Te Taiao (the natural world) has been good to us.
Today, Te Taiao is under unprecedented pressure. The natural world that’s supported us for generations is out of balance. As farmers, growers, fishers, and producers of Aotearoa New Zealand, we have a responsibility to help restore nature. Because when Te Taiao is healthy, we are healthy. By taking care of the natural world, we are taking care of our people, communities, and businesses both now and into the future.
Te Taiao - The natural world that contains & surrounds us
Te Taiao refers to the interconnection of people and nature. Ko au Te Taiao, ko Te Taiao ko au (I am nature, and nature is me). This worldview is inherent to Māori, but we all share this connection with Te Taiao in our own way. We know that when nature thrives, we all thrive. This shared understanding unites and guides us as we forge a new way forward for our food and fibres sector.
What is Taiao Ora?
Living our values & leading the change
Taiao Ora is an independent, collaborative initiative to create a food and fibres sector that’s unique and valuable to Aotearoa New Zealand and the world. It weaves together traditional knowledge, modern science, and best practice to meet some of the most significant challenges and opportunities of our time.
We’re aligning what we do on the land and in our businesses with our values. Working together, with nature and one another, we can lead the world in restorative practices, create valuable products with integrity, enhance our standing in the marketplace, and be confident and proud of what we do.
How it works
We are co-developing a framework, pathways, tools and practices to implement Taiao Ora on the ground — from farm to marketplace — in stages.
Together with mātauranga Māori specialists, farmers and growers, sector experts, and scientists, we will create new, holistic, evidence-based systems that are better for business and nature.