title: Trashing New Zealand: A critical evaluation of food waste management discourses in New Zealand and their implications for sustainable development

authors: Hetherington, Laura Elizabeth

subjects: food waste

abstract: Food waste is an issue that transcends state borders and governments increasingly recognise as imperative to address. However, in New Zealand, this concern has not necessarily translated into adequate political commitments on the part of both central and local government to reduce the generation of food waste production. In fact, New Zealand has one of the highest levels of municipal waste production per capita amongst the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (OECD, 2018). It is estimated that the annual value of food waste produced in New Zealand is approximately NZD $1.8 billion. More fundamentally, the issue of food waste with its implications for environmental, social and economic sustainability, poses a significant challenge to New Zealand’s commitment to the United Nations sustainable development goals.

This thesis examines dominant food waste discourses by researching food waste policy and practices in New Zealand. It draws on an analysis of documents and in-depth semistructured interviews to study policies at the national level and undertake a case study of a local food waste programme. The research focuses specifically on the discourses that inform food waste action in New Zealand and how the way in which food waste is positioned affects food waste reduction efforts.

This study uses a discourse analysis approach to analyse the principal waste document of New Zealand, the Waste Minimisation Act. This approach, grounded in the work of Fairclough, allows for a critical study of both written and spoken text. Applying this method reveals the way in which food waste is conceptualised in New Zealand by exposing the framing and dominate discourses that privilege certain waste disposal and responsibilities over others.

A case study methodology was used to underpin this research. This method allowed for comparisons between central government representations and awareness of food waste and those that existed within a very waste-conscious community where food waste reduction is a priority. Alongside the discourse analysis and case study, a sustainable development framework of analysis was developed to evaluate the dominant food waste discourses that were identified by the analysis.

This study contributes to scholarship on food waste minimisation and management in New Zealand by identifying how dominant food waste discourse influences political efforts aimed at food waste reduction. The findings show how little food waste features on the political agenda of central government, which, in turn, hinders what can be achieved at the local level. This study underscores the need for a central government-led, long-term vision for a comprehensive food waste policy that targets all actors involved in the food chain, in order to reduce the amount of food disposal sent to landfill.

text: Trashing New Zealand: A critical evaluation of food waste management discourses in New Zealand and their implications for sustainable development Food waste is an issue that transcends state borders and governments increasingly recognise as imperative to address. However, in New Zealand, this concern has not necessarily translated into adequate political commitments on the part of both central and local government to reduce the generation of food waste production. In fact, New Zealand has one of the highest levels of municipal waste production per capita amongst the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (OECD, 2018). It is estimated that the annual value of food waste produced in New Zealand is approximately NZD $1.8 billion. More fundamentally, the issue of food waste with its implications for environmental, social and economic sustainability, poses a significant challenge to New Zealand’s commitment to the United Nations sustainable development goals.

This thesis examines dominant food waste discourses by researching food waste policy and practices in New Zealand. It draws on an analysis of documents and in-depth semistructured interviews to study policies at the national level and undertake a case study of a local food waste programme. The research focuses specifically on the discourses that inform food waste action in New Zealand and how the way in which food waste is positioned affects food waste reduction efforts.

This study uses a discourse analysis approach to analyse the principal waste document of New Zealand, the Waste Minimisation Act. This approach, grounded in the work of Fairclough, allows for a critical study of both written and spoken text. Applying this method reveals the way in which food waste is conceptualised in New Zealand by exposing the framing and dominate discourses that privilege certain waste disposal and responsibilities over others.

A case study methodology was used to underpin this research. This method allowed for comparisons between central government representations and awareness of food waste and those that existed within a very waste-conscious community where food waste reduction is a priority. Alongside the discourse analysis and case study, a sustainable development framework of analysis was developed to evaluate the dominant food waste discourses that were identified by the analysis.

This study contributes to scholarship on food waste minimisation and management in New Zealand by identifying how dominant food waste discourse influences political efforts aimed at food waste reduction. The findings show how little food waste features on the political agenda of central government, which, in turn, hinders what can be achieved at the local level. This study underscores the need for a central government-led, long-term vision for a comprehensive food waste policy that targets all actors involved in the food chain, in order to reduce the amount of food disposal sent to landfill.

year: 2019

title: Calcium-mediated thermostability in the subtilisin superfamily: the crystal structure of Bacillus Ak.1 protease at 1.8 å resolution

authors: Smith, Clyde A.

subjects: calcium binding

abstract: Proteins of the subtilisin superfamily (subtilases) are widely distributed through many living species, where they perform a variety of processing functions. They are also used extensively in industry. In many of these enzymes, bound calcium ions play a key role in protecting against autolysis and thermal denaturation. We have determined the crystal structure of a highly thermostable protease from Bacillus sp. Ak.1 that is strongly stabilized by calcium. The crystal structure, determined at 1.8 Å resolution (R=0.182, Rfree=0.247), reveals the presence of four bound cations, three Ca2+ and one Na+. Two of the Ca2+ binding sites, Ca-1 and Ca-2, correspond to sites also found in thermitase and the mesophilic subtilisins. The third calcium ion, however, is at a novel site that is created by two key amino acid substitutions near Ca-1, and has not been observed in any other subtilase. This site, acting cooperatively with Ca-1, appears to give substantially enhanced thermostability, compared with thermitase. Comparisons with the mesophilic subtilisins also point to the importance of aromatic clusters, reduced hydrophobic surface and constrained N and C termini in enhancing the thermostability of thermitase and Ak.1 protease. The Ak.1 protease also contains an unusual Cys-X-Cys disulfide bridge that modifies the active site cleft geometry.

text: Calcium-mediated thermostability in the subtilisin superfamily: the crystal structure of Bacillus Ak.1 protease at 1.8 å resolution Proteins of the subtilisin superfamily (subtilases) are widely distributed through many living species, where they perform a variety of processing functions. They are also used extensively in industry. In many of these enzymes, bound calcium ions play a key role in protecting against autolysis and thermal denaturation. We have determined the crystal structure of a highly thermostable protease from Bacillus sp. Ak.1 that is strongly stabilized by calcium. The crystal structure, determined at 1.8 Å resolution (R=0.182, Rfree=0.247), reveals the presence of four bound cations, three Ca2+ and one Na+. Two of the Ca2+ binding sites, Ca-1 and Ca-2, correspond to sites also found in thermitase and the mesophilic subtilisins. The third calcium ion, however, is at a novel site that is created by two key amino acid substitutions near Ca-1, and has not been observed in any other subtilase. This site, acting cooperatively with Ca-1, appears to give substantially enhanced thermostability, compared with thermitase. Comparisons with the mesophilic subtilisins also point to the importance of aromatic clusters, reduced hydrophobic surface and constrained N and C termini in enhancing the thermostability of thermitase and Ak.1 protease. The Ak.1 protease also contains an unusual Cys-X-Cys disulfide bridge that modifies the active site cleft geometry.

year: 1999

title: Protecting hapū data privacy: A Ngāti Tiipa case study of technology considerations

authors: Clark, Vanessa

abstract: This brief is a part of a series, produced for the Tikanga in Technology (TiNT) research programme, that provides a hapū perspective on data sovereignty, data governance, and data privacy. In this brief we focus on the Ngāti Tiipa ‘layer cake’ technology approach and assess it against the values of the TiNT Māori Data Privacy Framework. This brief should be read in conjunction with TiNT Brief #3 The Māori Data Privacy Framework: How useful is it for hapū?

text: Protecting hapū data privacy: A Ngāti Tiipa case study of technology considerations This brief is a part of a series, produced for the Tikanga in Technology (TiNT) research programme, that provides a hapū perspective on data sovereignty, data governance, and data privacy. In this brief we focus on the Ngāti Tiipa ‘layer cake’ technology approach and assess it against the values of the TiNT Māori Data Privacy Framework. This brief should be read in conjunction with TiNT Brief #3 The Māori Data Privacy Framework: How useful is it for hapū?

year: 2025-02-11