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The karaka nut could again become a valuable food source thanks to research being done by Rangitāne o Manawatū with Massey University and Plant and Food.
Science Minister Megan Woods says it’s one of 16 projects being funded in the latest round of Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund.
The karaka nut is a gluten-free source of carbohydrates and protein, but its toxins need to be eliminated first – and that’s where mātauranga Māori comes in.
The Kahukaariki Trust Board will partner with the University of Auckland and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to look at ways to re-establish native rock oysters in Te Tai Tokerau, where Pacific oysters have become the dominant commercial species.
Ms Woods says the fund is about supporting the many opportunities that come from strengthening mātauranga Māori and the science and innovation system in a way that embraces both bodies of knowledge as complementary.
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