MRV Gathering at Mangaroa Farms
Mangaroa Farms had the privilege of hosting a gathering around environmental impact, data verification and indigenous wisdom The event, focused around MRV (Measurement, Verification, and Reporting), was a transformative gathering that brought together farmers, scientists, researchers, indigenous leaders, and community advocates to explore regenerative practices and indigenous sovereignty. Focused on ecological stewardship and accountability, the event served as a platform for knowledge exchange, storytelling, and envisioning a future where cultural values and ecological health are deeply intertwined.
What is MRV?
MRV stands for Measurement, Verification, and Reporting—a framework designed to track the ecological impacts of land use, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and soil health. While inherently technical, the MRV framework goes beyond data to incorporate stories, relationships, and values, ensuring that the work remains deeply rooted in community and cultural significance.
Key Themes and Takeaways
Innovative Tools for Ecological Measurement
The event showcased cutting-edge tools and frameworks for measuring and tracking ecological impact. Hypercerts, which utilise blockchain technology, emerged as an exciting innovation, offering a decentralised way to verify and share data on ecological projects. These tools enable transparent, trust-based reporting on regenerative outcomes, creating new pathways for collaboration and accountability.
Planet Labs demonstrated the power of satellite technology to map Earth's biodiversity. Their high-resolution imagery provides unparalleled insights into changes in ecosystems, empowering decision-makers with real-time data on land use, vegetation, and biodiversity.
State-of-the-Art Pest Control Systems
Groundtruth and TRAPNZ shared remarkable advancements in pest control technology. Their systems use sophisticated monitoring tools to track pest populations and ensure that efforts to protect native flora and fauna are precise, efficient, and impactful. By integrating data collection and real-time reporting, they are setting a new standard for ecosystem management.
Eco Index and Biosphere Mapping
The Eco Index introduced a novel approach to organising ecological data by biosphere, providing a structured way to assess and visualise environmental health. This tool offers a bird's-eye view of ecological systems, facilitating more informed conservation strategies and fostering a deeper understanding of interconnected biospheres.
Hua Parakore: Māori-Led Organics Framework
The Hua Parakore system was a cornerstone of the event, embodying indigenous values in regenerative practices. Rooted in six kaupapa (principles), it serves as both a certification system and a pathway for deepening connections with te ao Māori (the Māori worldview). By prioritising tikanga Māori (cultural practices), it provides a holistic lens for evaluating soil, food, and seed health.
Global Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
International perspectives enriched the discussions, with examples like Vandana Shiva’s seed sovereignty work in India and the connections between Māori, Pacific, and Turtle Island communities. These exchanges reinforced the importance of shared learning and collaboration in addressing global challenges.
Storytelling and Technology in Action
The Hua Parakore media series and other indigenous storytelling projects underscored the power of narrative to amplify ecological and cultural movements. Alongside this, technological tools like Planet Labs’ satellite imaging and blockchain-based hypercerts offered innovative ways to visualise and share the impact of these stories, bridging traditional knowledge with cutting-edge technology.
Building Regenerative Systems
The event emphasised the importance of systems thinking, from mapping soil health to creating localised food and seed sovereignty systems. Discussions highlighted the need to not only reclaim indigenous practices but to integrate them into contemporary frameworks for broader societal transformation.
Strengthening Relationships Across Communities
A recurring theme was the importance of relational change. Whether through allyship in decolonisation efforts or collaborative MRV initiatives, participants highlighted the need for trust-based partnerships between Māori and non-Māori communities, farmers, scientists, and policymakers.
Highlights from the Discussions
Hypercerts as a new way to track and measure ecological impact.
Eco-index sharing their new tools for climate and ecological reporting
Groundtruth displaying state-of-the-art pest control systems for protecting our native forests
Ma Earth sharing learnings and insights from 150+ interviews about nature and money, as well as having run 2 grants rounds for regenerative land projects across the globe.
Silvi is building systems to measure trees & their effect on the environment, and mapping them across the world
Future Whenua is encouraging communities of farmers across Aotearoa to shift to regenerative practices.
Planet Labs is measuring biodiversity, deforestation and more across the whole world, using satellites that can track environmental growth and degradation.
TOHA is developing tools for indigenous data sovereignty
Erin Matariki from River delivered a moving presentation on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and what it means to incorporate indigenous knowledge systems into our ecological effort.
Dr Jessica Hutchings from Hua Parakore displayed some awesome examples of sovereignty in action, from indigenous seed banks to marae-based food systems, illustrating how communities are actively reclaiming their autonomy.
International connections were highlighted, such as collaborations with Vandana Shiva and her work on seed freedom in India, which reinforced the global relevance of these movements.
The role of media in amplifying kaupapa (Māori principles) and engaging young people was celebrated, with a vision for future documentaries showcasing indigenous stories globally.
The Spirit of Hope and Action
Amid discussions of challenges—government funding cuts, colonial systems, and climate crises—the event was infused with a sense of hope and resilience. Speakers consistently returned to the idea of intergenerational change, focusing on empowering rangatahi (youth) to carry these movements forward.
Closing Reflections
The MRV 3-Day event was a convergence of technical expertise and cultural wisdom, blending data-driven accountability with the deeply human elements of story and relationship. For Mangaroa Farms and others in attendance, it reaffirmed the importance of aligning ecological stewardship with cultural values. The event called on everyone to not just measure change but to embody it—connecting head, heart, and hands in the service of a regenerative future.
