Ep 8: Living Knowledge – Glyphosate and Food Sovereignty with Dr. Jessica Hutchings

In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hutchings—a leading voice in Indigenous food sovereignty—shares how Māori knowledge and the Hua Parakore organic framework are reshaping the future of food. She explores the deep connections between land, spirit, and community, and how reclaiming Indigenous growing practices can heal both people and planet. Through themes of kai sovereignty, environmental justice, and collective consciousness, this conversation offers a powerful invitation to reimagine our relationship with food, nature, and one another.

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Instagram: @papawhakaritorito_trust
Facebook: @PapawhakaritoritoCharitableTrust
LinkedIn (personal): Here
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Bio: Dr Jessica Hutchings is a leading voice in Indigenous food sovereignty whose work bridges mātauranga Māori, environmental justice, and whānau wellbeing. A Hua Parakore–verified grower and longtime advocate for Māori organics, Jessica stewards both land and knowledge on her 12-acre farm, where she grows kai with her family.

With more than three decades of experience, Jessica has shaped national and global conversations on soil, food systems, and the future of Indigenous-led regeneration. Her books Te Mahi Māra Hua Parakore and Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore are widely recognised guides to growing and living in harmony with whenua. In 2023, she was named one of Aotearoa’s Top 50 Women in Food and Drink and a finalist for New Zealander of the Year (Environment).

In this series, Jessica brings grounded clarity, cultural depth, and a fierce commitment to restoring our relationship with land through Indigenous wisdom and collective action.