Post-settler agriculture? Peter Andrée, John Reid, ‘Transitioning to agricultural sustainability in the context of settler-colonialism: insights from the intersection of indigenous and Western knowledge systems’, Agriculture and Human Values, 2026 | settler colonial studies blog

Post-settler agriculture? Peter Andrée, John Reid, ‘Transitioning to agricultural sustainability in the context of settler-colonialism: insights from the intersection of indigenous and Western knowledge systems’, Agriculture and Human Values, 2026

19Apr26

Abstract: In settler-colonial states that seek to recognize Indigenous rights, such as Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ), the transition to agricultural sustainability must draw upon the insights of both Indigenous knowledge, in this case mātauranga Māori, and Western knowledge systems. This was the premise behind the ‘Sustainability Transition Challenge Wānanga’ that took place in 2023 under the leadership of the Indigenous people of Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Ngāi Tūāhuriri. Grounded in wānanga as an Indigenous knowledge sharing methodology, this discussion paper explores five themes pertinent to the emerging sustainable agriculture transition in ANZ: 1) the importance of embracing te ao Māori (Māori worldview) in knowledge production related to sustainability; 2) the role of Indigenous leadership in sustainable agriculture; 3) the place of traditional/customary food practices and environmental management approaches within sustainable agri-food transitions; 4) the centrality of renewing mana whakahaere (governance); and 5) the importance of celebrating and sharing successes. Our discussion of these themes suggests future research on agri-food transitions in settler-colonial contexts pay greater attention to the key role of Indigenous property rights, co-governance models that acknowledge these rights, and the potential for catchment-level initiatives for operationalizing these approaches. We call on sustainability transition researchers to bring to the fore more stories of successful Indigenous-led transition experiments in settler-colonial contexts to mitigate political tensions that arise at the community level, allow lessons to be learned from, and inspire further change informed by both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.

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