David Chagné: mānuka honey as the new Champagne
12 Nov 2020
When Dr David Chagné began engaging Māori landowners and honey producers for his genome research on mānuka, eyebrows were raised about what a French geneticist was doing with a taonga (treasure) species.
“Some were initially cautious because when they heard ‘genetics’ they worried that I might tinker with the genes of mānuka,” David says. “But genetic technology is more than just gene editing or engineering. We can use genomics to identify DNA markers already within the plant which can inform selective breeding. For example, markers can enable us to select mānuka plants that are tolerant to myrtle rust, produce high quality honey and are locally adapted.”
Over time David and the team have worked towards building mutual respect with Māori. In the “Honey Landscape” project which was carried out in collaboration with Manaaki Whenua and Māori agribusinesses, his team set out to use high-throughput techniques to sequence the genome of mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) across New Zealand and Australia, to describe the genomic diversity within the species.
“I was born in Marmande, a town not too far from Bordeaux. In France, we have this concept called terroir, which captures the regional uniqueness of wine, based on the unique genetics of grape cultivars and traditional winemaking methods. For us the quality of wine is tied to its surrounding environment, the people who made it and the plant genetics. I think this applies to mānuka and the honey sourced from it as well.”
The French scientist and Māori collaborators share enthusiasm about mānuka. David is committed to conducting research in a culturally responsive and respectable manner, acknowledging the kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of Māori over this culturally and economically valuable plant.
Preliminary findings suggest that not only is New Zealand mānuka genetically different from Australian L. scoparium, but there are also regional differences amongst New Zealand mānuka. The variations could be linked to genes involved in the adaption to the environment such as climate and soil type.
“This is significant because it recognises the whakapapa (genealogy) of mānuka and supports the New Zealand honey industry’s endeavour in differentiating itself in the global marketplace. Notably, this presents significant opportunities to contribute to Māori aspirations for mānuka as well. There might still be a long way to go but hopefully one day New Zealand mānuka honey can attain a similar status to Champagne – it can be branded as mānuka honey only if it’s sourced and made in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
