Turning kānuka into opportunity on the East Coast

Nuka Charitable Trust will officially open its Ruatoria-based operation on 20 March, marking the next chapter of a Māori-led, place-based enterprise built on kānuka, community partnerships and a long-term vision for whānau and whenua.

It also marks an important milestone for science, innovation and regional development on the East Coast.

The opening event will take guests through the kānuka harvesting and processing journey before concluding with a hākari in Ruatoria.

Founded by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland’s Business School senior lecturer Dr Kiri Dell and Professor Saeid Baroutian (Engineering and Design), Nuka has grown from research and collaboration with whānau in Ruatoria into an enterprise developing high-value products from native kānuka.

Its work focuses on creating value from an abundant local resource while ensuring Māori landowners and communities are part of that value chain.

For Dell, who is from Ruatoria, the venture has always been about creating meaningful returns from the whenua for local people.

“This really has the potential to change the economy for small towns like Ruatoria and create opportunities for sustainable economic development.”

“It’s local with a global impact – and that’s what makes kānuka unique.

“It’s an incredibly common native plant that we would walk by, not knowing the benefits it has for our people and for our whenua. Our research explored that, and we’ve now turned it into something tangible for the community to see.

“This will develop innovation and enhance the economy in the community through connection to export markets.”

The opening will give locals, researchers and supporters a first look at early food products, kānuka drink formulations and new ingredients developed through the venture.

Guests will also see processing technology including PyroFlash, a high-temperature system that rapidly heats biomass such as kānuka to extract valuable compounds. The technology is central to Nuka’s ability to turn raw plant material into products such as liquid smoke, flavouring and preservation ingredients, helping move the venture from research into scalable production.

The project had early-stage support from the University of Auckland through its commercialisation company UniServices and has been backed through the Government’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund. Investment of $1.9 million supports the pilot plant in Ruatoria and the development of products designed to create jobs and long-term economic opportunities in Tairāwhiti.

“It highlights the growing potential of taonga-inspired innovation to lift regional economies, raise the standard of bioeconomies, and create enduring value for whānau and whenua,” Dell says.

Professor Saeid Baroutian says the venture demonstrates how science and mātauranga Māori can work together to unlock new value from native resources.

“This project grew from years of research into the chemistry and processing of kānuka, and from close collaboration with Dr Kiri Dell and the Whareponga Valley community. By combining scientific innovation with local knowledge and values, we’ve been able to develop technologies that transform a common native plant into high-value ingredients for food, flavour and preservation.”

“From an engineering perspective, the opening of this plant represents the successful transition of a complex scientific process into a practical, scalable reality. By using fast pyrolysis, rapidly heating kānuka wood chips to over 400°C in an oxygen-limited environment, we can thermally decompose the biomass into a high-value liquid.

“This technology doesn't just capture that unique hāngī aroma; it allows us to create a clean, natural food ingredient that is rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial properties, enhancing both the flavour and shelf life of products without the toxic compounds found in traditional smoking methods.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see this research leave the laboratory and move into a community-led facility that will drive the regional bioeconomy forward.”

During the opening, guests will visit sites connected to the harvesting and recovery of raw materials, view new processing equipment and facilities, and sample some of the food ingredients and products developed through the venture. Marae accommodation is also being made available for attendees travelling to the event.

Nuka was established as a charitable trust in November 2022 to facilitate commercial opportunities for tangata whenua and Māori landowners. The purpose of the trust includes reducing barriers to education and academic research for tangata whenua.