What’s at stake? Nuka is testing whether Māori landowners can capture more value from native resources, rather than sitting at the end of the supply chain.
Background: The Ruatoria operation grew from whānau ambition, University of Auckland research, and MPI-backed pilot plant funding.
Main players: Dr Kiri Dell, Professor Saeid Baroutian, Nuka Charitable Trust, University of Auckland, MPI, and Māori landowners in Ruatoria.
Dr Kiri Dell knew the smell before she knew the business model.
When kānuka wood was turned into liquid smoke, the product was not only a possible food ingredient, it carried something much closer to home.
“Our family has a very intimate connection to this tree – to the kānuka and mānuka –
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Key points
What’s at stake? Nuka is testing whether Māori landowners can capture more value from native resources, rather than sitting at the end of the supply chain.
Background: The Ruatoria operation grew from whānau ambition, University of Auckland research, and MPI-backed pilot plant funding.
Main players: Dr Kiri Dell, Professor Saeid Baroutian, Nuka Charitable Trust, University of Auckland, MPI, and Māori landowners in Ruatoria.
