Māori indicators of soil health
Provisional Māori soil health indicators:
- Mauri (internal essence, life force, assessment, local knowledge) e.g. a healthy functioning soil fit for purpose and sustaining life, health, and prosperity, capacity of a soil to function as a living system to sustain mauri
- Mana (authority to manage and make decisions) also can imply the mana of a soil (as a living entity) – food sovereignty e.g. ability to make decisions over someones land, soil management guidelines and best practice
- Mahinga kai and Maara kai (the ability of the soil to provide sustenance, food sovereignty, and prosperity) e.g. area of soils that sustain gardening/organics
- Oranga, ora (measure of food safety and food health from soil) e.g. a soil free from pesticides and contaminants, meets food safety standards