Rate My Professor Brent Paehua

Paehua's research focuses on the intersection of Te Ao Māori and sustainable food systems. In 2023, he published 'Alternative / Emerging Proteins and Engaging Te Ao Māori Māori and Veganism' in Pūhau ana te rā: Tailwinds (Vol. 1, No. 1), arising from his Tauira Māori Summer Scholarship project supervised by Dr Simon Barber and Professor Hugh Campbell at the Centre for Sustainability. This work examined emerging alternative proteins amid shifting global protein consumption patterns, emphasising sustainability challenges in animal-based agriculture and the need for bi-cultural progression in Aotearoa New Zealand that respects tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and cultural traditions. Funded by the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge as part of the Protein Futures: Future Scenarios for Land-Use project, Paehua's scholarship explored linking factors between Te Ao Māori and alternative proteins, highlighting opportunities for Māori leadership in sustainable agriculture while addressing economic, social, and environmental impacts. He noted the potential for alternative meats to align with kaitiakitanga through education and collaboration, without altering core cultural practices like hāngī. As of 2023, Paehua was in his third year of a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology with a minor in Criminology at the University of Otago. His project shifted his views on climate impacts of meat and dairy industries, influencing family discussions on environmental responsibility.