For Thai consumers, these pizzas represent more than novelty, they’re validation of a broader shift toward self-care through food. For One Planet Pizza, it’s cultural diplomacy through convenience: comfort food that fits seamlessly into local dietary norms while whispering a global sustainability message.

The U.S. white mushroom market’s projected growth reflects a deeper consumer migration toward functional, plant-based nutrition. Mushrooms now sit squarely at the intersection of flavour, health, and sustainability, quietly anchoring the American diet of the next decade.

New Zealand's Zealong Tea Estate at Gordonton, in the Waikato, joins the ranks of the world’s most iconic tea destinations, positioning New Zealand’s agrifood landscape firmly in the premium global beverage narrative.

Barry Callebaut partnering up with Planet A Foods signals a pragmatic pivot within the chocolate industry, one that embraces ingredient innovation while protecting legacy markets. This “hybrid chocolate economy” could redefine sustainability benchmarks in confectionery.

At the heart of the protein innovation surge in Asia-Pacific, the Bezos Centre @ NUS and Enterprise Singapore joint competition has delivered its first crop of winners: Magic Valley (Australia), Fermeate (USA) and Terra Bioindustries (Canada). These three global players each secured up to S$175,000 (≈US$128k) plus in-kind support and ecosystem access.

Singapore has delayed its “30 by 30” plan transforming into a hybrid sovereignty strategy, by balancing domestic food production with structured import reliance. It signals a more pragmatic stance, one where sovereignty is shared with trusted partners rather than pursued in isolation.

Japan's Sankyo Foods’ launch of GABA- rice, enriched germinated-brown-rice blends illustrates the emerging wave of staple-food functionalisation targeted at mental wellness, where simplicity (eat your rice) meets neuro-centric biology (GABA for brain-calm). With four variants leveraging grain and bean blends, the range advances the concept of “food as mental-wellness tool” rather than just “health food”.

New Zealand’s horticulture engine fired on all cylinders this year, with fruit exports surging 42 percent to $5.68 billion. Kiwifruit led the charge, up 45 percent on 2024, as global demand for gold varieties strengthened. The overall produce export value of $6.85 billion confirms the sector’s strong recovery trajectory and alignment with national export-growth objectives.

Australia’s Made & Grown white paper reframes biotechnology as a cornerstone of national resilience. It positions food biomanufacturing not as an economic bonus but as strategic infrastructure, vital for defending against climate volatility, disrupted imports, and biosecurity threats. The report urges the federal government to embed food security in defence planning, fund shared scale-up hubs, and fast-track regulatory reform for new proteins and precision-fermented ingredien

A 75–100 g daily uplift in fruit and veggies intake across Australia and New Zealand could reshape both public health and the food economy. It equates to roughly 1.2 million tonnes of extra produce flowing through ANZ supply chains and a measurable reduction in healthcare costs. The policy and industry alignment exists, but what’s needed now is a consumer pull signal powered by better products, stronger marketing, and easier access.

Investor-driven assessment says global FMCG and retail heavyweights are under-invested and under-prepared on plant-based protein, constraining growth and resilience. Investor pressure from FAIRR (The Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return Initiative) is rising for clear sales targets, portfolio rebalancing, and board-level nutrition competence. FAIRR manages more than $90 Trillion in investor network funds with more than 70 investors valued at $11.5T involved in this study.

The Ferrero Chilean expansion (backed by its agricultural subsidiary Agrichile) strengthens year-round hazelnut flow into its confectionery plants and secures traceable, high-oleic nuts certified to Ferrero’s “Horizon” sustainability standards. Chile’s Mediterranean-style climate mirrors parts of Victoria, Australia and Canterbury, New Zealand, making this development a potential template for ANZ diversification into premium nut crops.

China’s forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) cements bio-manufacturing as part of its “advanced industrial base”, blending foodtech with national security and demographic resilience. New language connects nutrition and biotech, while the Pinggu Action Plan (2025–27) anchors the country’s first state-endorsed alternative-protein cluster. These moves transform cultivated, fermented, and functional proteins from experimental to strategic.

Innova Market Insights has named digestive health, protein, and mental wellness as the leading food predictions for 2026, marking a global consumer shift toward holistic functionality and authentic nutrition.

Kiwi based, Leaft Foods extends its proprietary green-leaf extraction technology into the pet nutrition category with Alfalfa Protein Concentrate (APC), a frozen-block ingredient designed for meat-based formulations. Through Meateor’s global network, Leaft is positioning APC as the go-to sustainable protein for premium pet brands in the U.S. and Europe.

A design collaboration between Heliograf and Vert Design Studio has birthed Holy Carp! , the world’s first fully home-compostable plant-pulp soy sauce fish. Made from renewable natural fibres, the dropper biodegrades in weeks and eliminates the need for petroleum-based plastics in takeaway sushi packaging.

A new “functional-natural” wellness boom is gaining momentum under the radar of the alt-protein noise. Instead of mimicking meat, these brands are harnessing fermentation, plant prebiotics, and caffeine-free stimulation to feed both body and brain. The mood-regulating and gut-nourishing niches are rapidly converging, led by small-scale producers leveraging native and regenerative agriculture.

A naturally derived MAO-B inhibitor discovered in New Zealand blackcurrants, trademarked as Neuroberry, is rewriting the script on brain nutrition. The partnership between Ārepa, Plant & Food Research, and Callaghan Innovation (now under the BioEconomy Science Institute umbrella) has delivered a patentable compound with proven human efficacy, bridging the gap between neuroscience and functional food.

Australian precision-fermentation fat maker Nourish Ingredients establishes a global hub in Leiden, Netherlands, signalling European commercialisation of designer lipids.

WOA - Wide Open Agriculture - has crossed the core technical threshold for lupin milk by creating a stable foam, neutral taste, creamy texture, all built on a proprietary isolate and protected by a PCT filing. The go-to-market rides B2B distribution into on-trend tea/coffee beverages in China, where scale and speed favour ingredient suppliers with IP.