Kanuka Industry Gains Momentum in Tairawhiti

A groundbreaking collaboration in Ngāti Porou has not only opened doors for a flourishing kānuka industry but has also gained national recognition, securing a prestigious award and paving the way for a major export deal. 

The five-year collaboration between Ngāti Porou landowners, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Hā Kānuka (the Māori Kānuka Collective), and Hikurangi Bioactives Limited Partnership (HBLP) was honoured with Te Tohu Tūhura at the Science New Zealand Awards 2025 held in Wellington in March.

 COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP

 This award acknowledges the collaborative research demonstrating the economic, employment, biodiversity, and land-use potential of kānuka. Dr. Nikki Harcourt (Ngāti Maniapoto) from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research has worked in Tairāwhiti for many years with local land blocks and emphasised the significance of this achievement. Dr Harcourt highlighted its role in helping Ngāti Porou landowners explore sustainable economic opportunities from native species while preserving the health of their whenua. 

The success of this partnership is a testament to the strength of collective effort, merging mātauranga and traditional uses with scientific expertise and entrepreneurial vision. According to Manu Caddie, co-founder and director of HBLP, the potential for a thriving kānuka industry in Tairāwhiti is huge. “The award is a great acknowledgment of the hard work put in over the past decade, but the true milestone will be finalising the licensing and product export deal, which we hope to achieve this month,” he said. 

EXPLORING THE COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF KĀNUKA 

Since 2021, HBLP and Harcourt have been working under funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Food & Fibres (SFF) Futures Fund to explore the commercial viability of kānuka oil. This initiative led to the formal establishment of Hā Kānuka, a collective of Māori entities from around Aotearoa dedicated to helping Māori lead in the emerging kānuka industry. Iwi, hapū, Māori land entities and a few whānau-led enterprises around the country are involved in small-scale kānuka honey, oil and tea production. 

A major breakthrough for the partnership has been the development of a product using kānuka oil as a treatment for eczema. Clinical trials in 2022 revealed that a cream containing 3% kānuka oil significantly reduced eczema severity compared to existing treatments. A follow-up study in the USA using the same product confirmed the results. This result has attracted a major US-based licensing partner for the product and is expected to bring economic benefits to the East Coast communities that have supported the research and development of kānuka-based products. 

MODEL FOR HAPU AND IWI 

The Tairāwhiti collaboration is also serving as a model for other hapū and iwi across Aotearoa who may wish to develop industries based on taonga species. The government has recognised the potential of products derived from taonga and is currently developing a biodiscovery framework for taonga as part of a wider biotechnology and bioeconomy plan for the country. This investment aligns with broader goals of economic diversification, especially in regions like Tairāwhiti, where historic dependence on pine forestry and farming presents both environmental and economic risks. In addition to its commercial potential, kānuka also plays a crucial environmental role. Its deep root system helps stabilise slopes in erosion-prone regions, providing soil conservation protection and, if managed carefully, can promote biodiversity regeneration. 

BENEFITS COMING BACK TO WHĀNAU AND THE WHENUA 

Despite recent structural changes, with one of half of HBLP - Hikurangi Enterprises Limited – going into voluntary liquidation, the commitment of HBLP to ensuring the long-term benefits of kānuka remains steadfast. Plans are underway to ensure that the majority of royalties from global sales of the eczema product continue to flow back to the Waiapu Valley and the land blocks that supported the initiative from its early days. “We’re so excited to see how this one product might see real benefits come back to the whānau and whenua we have been working with for many years” said Manu. “We hope sales grow quickly and sustainably so we can develop production facilities around the country and see this product as just the start of a whole new industry that Māori can be in the driving seat for.” 

As HBLP moves closer to securing a licensing and supply agreement, the future of the kānuka industry in Tairāwhiti looks brighter than ever. Along with similar ventures in kānuka, mānuka and other species, Māori-led research, innovation, and collaboration can drive sustainable economic development while protecting and enhancing our taonga tuku iho. 

‍Nga mihi: Contributed by Hikurangi Bioactives Limited Partnership.