Protected Cropping in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Third Māori Agricultural Revolution?

Protected cropping technologies are increasingly identified as a component of a potential fourth global agricultural revolution, promising increased productivity, reduced environmental impacts and greater resilience to climate change and supply chain disruption. This scoping paper explores whether these technologies could contribute to a third Māori agricultural revolution in Aotearoa New Zealand. It argues that agricultural revolutions emerge through the interaction of technology and culture and that the outcomes of protected cropping for Māori will depend on how these systems are adapted, governed and applied. The paper situates protected cropping within the longer history of Māori agricultural innovation, from the adaptation of tropical crops to Aotearoa's temperate environment through to the rapid incorporation of introduced crops and technologies following European contact. It examines opportunities relating to environmental stewardship, community revitalisation, economic development, food security and food sovereignty, alongside challenges including capital intensity, technical complexity, cultural fit and environmental trade‐offs. The paper concludes that protected cropping could contribute to a third Māori agricultural revolution if guided by tikanga and informed by mātauranga Māori, ensuring technological innovation supports broader cultural, social, environmental and economic aspirations.