The First Indigenous Food Verification System – Hua Parakore

In Aotearoa, New Zealand, Hua Parakore is the Māori framework that certifies foods as “Pure Foods” where all inputs are traceable and free of chemicals and GMOs. It provides a framework for growing food using Indigenous values and principles rather than a government agency like the USDA.

It takes three years for farmers to become Hua Parakore verified. Rather than lots of paperwork and auditors, the process for Hua Parakore is relational. The community comes together and gives its collective consent through intergenerational connection with the land over thousands of years.

Māori have developed a worldview that is embedded in nature. They remind us that we are not above nature. We are a part of nature. Hua Parakore requires farmers to deeply consider their connection with the land and its energy, the many species sharing the land and their community.

Hua Parakore is building communities around the world to decolonize our food system and create food sovereignty.

Find out more about Hua Parakore: Te Waka Kai Ora – Jessica Hutchings

This short video was created using footage from Happen Films.

Watch the full feature on Happen Films here:

Watch the full-length interview on Happen Films with Jessica Hutchings: