Pacific Youth Health Entrepreneurship in Auckland Aotearoa New Zealand: Using Talanoa Participatory Action Research to Support Pacific Youth to Develop Fruit and Vegetable Enterprises

Abstract

This thesis explored Pacific youth health entrepreneurship in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on how Pacific youth can be supported to develop fruit and vegetable enterprises that contribute to good health outcomes. This research is situated within the context of youth as transformative leaders, persistent health inequities, and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases among Pacific communities, where diet-related risks remain a major contributor to poor health. Recognising the potential of Pacific youth as innovators, leaders, and change Pacific youth, I sought to understand how participatory and culturally grounded approaches could foster entrepreneurship that strengthens both health and community well-being.

I adopted a Talanoa Participatory Action Research (TPAR) methodology, grounded in Pacific research epistemologies, to guide the research process. Twelve Pacific youth engaged in iterative cycles of talanoa, reflection, and action. Their storytelling (in the Pacific sense) or data (in the Western context) were generated through talanoa sessions with meaningful collective storytelling and were thematically analysed using a Pacific lens. The TPAR process itself transpired as an artefact of knowledge, embodying the collective wisdom, creativity, and aspirations of Pacific youth and how this may benefit wider Pacific communities.

The findings reveal that Pacific youth envision fruit and vegetable enterprises as opportunities for economic sustainability and culturally anchored pathways for promoting healthy eating, strengthening identity, and building intergenerational connections. The TPAR artefact highlight’s themes of cultural values, community reciprocity, health advocacy, and digital innovation as central to Pacific youth entrepreneurship. Importantly, this qualitative study demonstrates how culturally embedded participatory methods, such as TPAR, can empower youth to lead enterprise solutions while challenging structural barriers to health equity.

This research contributes to Pacific community practice by providing a model of youth-led, culturally grounded health entrepreneurship. It provides insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to address Pacific health inequities through strategies that integrate entrepreneurship, food security, and cultural identity. More broadly, the thesis advances scholarship on decolonial methodologies and participatory approaches that position Pacific youth as Pacific youth of change in health and enterprise innovation.