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Pasture grown crops like Barley, Rye Grass and Alfalfa are converging as unlikely pillars of the next dairy-alt wave. One provides creaminess and fibre, the others deliver a complete amino acid profile. Together, they could reshape how New Zealand leverages land, science, and food tech to remain relevant in a market demanding both functionality and flavour.

New Zealand's Brain Health company, Arepa has shifted its functional focus from chilled liquid formats to shelf-stable brain x gut powder, unlocking scalability, global freight viability, and crossover into wellness aisles. With gut-brain connection now firmly in mainstream conversation, this move allows for dual-market capture with mental performance + digestive health.

With canning demand collapsing, New Zealand peaches risk becoming stranded assets. But by diverting even a slice of the crop into dried slices and powders, growers can flip waste into premium formats. Typical yields run ~129 kg soft-dried and ~113 kg powder per tonne of fresh fruit, commanding global prices of USD 9–22/kg and USD 10–30/kg respectively. Under a cooperative brand like concept OroGold Farms,

New Zealand’s 26 Seasons has struck a commercial deal with Saudi Arabia’s Qassim Strawberry & Fruit Cooperative Society, pairing Kiwi indoor vertical farming with Saudi demand for premium fruit under Vision 2030. The partnership, signed in Riyadh alongside four others, is projected to deliver more than NZ$100m in value, helping New Zealand push toward its 10-year goal of doubling exports.

The five-year, NZ$10.4m programme will demonstrate how microbes can turn forestry pulp and other local side-streams into export-grade proteins and functional ingredients. Beyond the science, it creates the shared infrastructure and regulatory precedent that startups like Daisy Lab (animal-free dairy proteins) and OPO Bio (cell media and cultured tissues) have been waiting for. Together, these signals point to a potential billion-dollar export category anchored in precision fe

The 2025 NZ Seaweed Summit represents a convergence of political will, industry innovation, and Māori leadership. A government minister’s attendance elevates the agenda, positioning seaweed not as an experiment but as a candidate for real policy backing and investment. Zespri’s involvement underscores the strategic opportunity to integrate marine bio-resources with established export powerhouses. AgriSea’s presence keeps the narrative grounded in local entrepreneurship and in

Talent is leaving faster than policy can respond. Without a scientific and technical base, the Kiwi food sector risks being hollowed out, reducing exports to raw commodity flows and ceding the value-added future to others.

Oaty Butter (Butter Luxe Co) wins New World Emerge with an oat-based spread fortified with prebiotic fibre and plant protein, positioned as NZ’s first of its kind. The prize matters in the form of a fast-track shot at nationwide New World shelves plus mentor support — i.e., real retail pipes, not just PR. Globally, oat-milk-butter is no longer a novelty

MG Group’s decision to convert five hectares of its Warkworth (North of Auckland) capsicum glasshouse into tomato production signals a renewed strategic focus on domestic food resilience amid rising pressure in both local and regional produce markets.

New Zealand and Singapore are co-investing NZD $3 million into solving hybrid meat’s biggest problem: nobody’s really buying it yet. The project, co-led by University of Canterbury and the National University of Singapore, is building an affordable, flavour-forward hybrid protein that grows real animal cells on plant-based scaffolds made from agri-waste.

Cellular Agriculture Australia’s latest white paper (CAA) makes the case: both nations have the talent, regulatory strength, and clean feedstocks to lead, but lack clear industrial policy to scale biomanufactured food production onshore. If they don’t act, they risk becoming spectators in a global food system no longer reliant on land or climate — and vulnerable to losing export relevance in a self-feeding world.

New Zealand’s recent trade delegation to China, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, has triggered a wave of concern from across the business, innovation, and export communities. A now-viral LinkedIn thread by former Alibaba ANZ GM Pier Smulders revealed what many insiders have quietly known for years, that the country’s global trade strategy remains anchored in outdated paradigms.

In a long-overdue but decisive move, the New Zealand Government is dismantling its outdated Crown Research Institute structure and launching three new public research organisations, marking the country’s most significant science reform in over 30 years. This restructuring places commercial outcomes at the core, with a strong focus on the bioeconomy, climate resilience, and public health preparedness.

Bean Supreme, one of New Zealand’s oldest plant-based protein brands, is exiting the market amid significant downturn in consumer demand. Owner Life Health Foods confirms production will cease by July 2025, marking another retreat in New Zealand’s shrinking alt-protein sector. Post-Covid pressures, investor fatigue, and a worsening cost-of-living crisis have shifted buying behaviour, with consumers reverting to traditional meat despite price parity or advantage in some plant-

Summary:New Zealand-based precision fermentation firm Daisy Lab has achieved multi-gram per litre production yields of bovine lactoferrin in yeast—far surpassing the 0.02–0.2g/L found in cow's milk. This opens the door to commercial-scale production of bioidentical lactoferrin for infant formula, supplements, and functional food. Traditional purification is costly and inconsistent, whereas Daisy Lab's method offers sustainable, animal-free supply with high precision and yield