Food waste is a bigger cause of climate change than plastics, according to Zero Waste Scotland. The government-funded body has urged people to cut down the amount of unwanted food they put in the bin. When food waste ends up in landfill it rots, producing methane gas, one of the most damaging greenhouse gases driving climate change. Research by Zero …

In 2018 Daniel founded Dirt Road Comms to help inspire transformation of the rural New Zealand story in the digital age. The agency is a fusion of his consumer brand-building professional background and rural Northland experience. He focusses on the role of marketing and narrative in the food system, regularly commenting on how issues like the rising vegan movement or …

Chef Brad Farmerie of New York City restaurant Saxon and Parole says the must-order at his eatery is a dish that features something called “ahimi,” a vegan tomato product that looks and tastes like raw tuna. The taste is so on-point, he said, even meat eaters order it. “When we serve these upstairs a lot of people don’t know the …

For many of us, eating a meal containing meat is a normal part of daily life. But if we dig deeper, some sobering issues emerge. Every year, 66 billion terrestrial animals are slaughtered for food. Predictions are that meat consumption will rise, with increasing demand for meat from China and other Asian countries as their standards of living increase. The …

France became the first country to pass a national regulation specifically against food waste in 2016. That effort earned a lot of attention—resulting in a top ranking in the 2017 Food Sustainability Index—and prompted conversation in the United States: can we, or should we, implement a similar policy here?  Up to 40 percent of food production in the U.S. is wasted and …

Thomas King – Re-imagining meat: Australia and New Zealand’s next food frontier. Sausages made from plants, chicken grown from cells – alternatives to conventional meat are rising rapidly. The opportunity to meet global protein demands and address the industry’s ecological and public health impacts saw $13B poured into U.S. plant- and cell-based food companies in 2017/18 alone. However, it is …

Meeting the protein alternative needs of customers, Suzy Spoon’s Vegetarian Butcher manufactures a range of plant based products in Sydney for the Australian consumer. Suzy is driven by the needs of her customers for high quality, high protein meat alternatives that tick a variety of boxes. Her customers demand clean label products that are superior in flavour, with familiar textures …

In this week’s business podcast, we look at New Zealand’s biggest salmon farmer, who has an audacious project to make aquaculture bigger than dairy. Think huge underwater salmon paddocks under the Cook Strait, and an industry with an environmental impact up to 30 times smaller than that from cows. Australian born Grant Rosewarne grew up on a mixed land farm. His parents …

Copper Branch says it will hit the 50-store mark in April with 15 new restaurant openings in North America – with a further 150 to open by 2020 The world’s biggest vegan fast food chain is set to hit the 50-store mark next month – keeping it on track to have over 200 locations open by 2020. Canadian chain Copper Branch …

The team at cell-based meat company Wild Type just made an extremely compelling business case for cell-based meat that has nothing to do with the environmental, societal, animal welfare, or public health benefits.Just as it’s crucial to lead with flavor when bringing better food choices to consumers, it’s important to be able to lead with profit with investors and food …

We can. We just need to fully legalise hemp. Here’s the thing, hemp is a sustainable green gold that can feed us, clothe us, shelter us, heal us and more. Wild caught salmon is not as good, in fact… Hemp massively outperforms wild salmon as a food for health. It’s richer in essential fatty acids, aminos, minerals, protein and more. …

Win-win outcomes for people + planet: How the red meat sector is transforming to meet market needs. Transparency, safety, high quality nutrition, sustainable farming systems and ethical supply chains. The global market is shifting and premium consumers are increasingly demanding more from the companies they buy from. At the same time, New Zealanders’ expectations are not so different and there …

Regenerative agriculture is having a moment. For long-time regen ag practitioners and proponents, this is probably jarring. But having written about regenerative agriculture for five years now, I’ve never seen such engagement or our stories about this ultra-sustainable method of farming perform so well. Readers aren’t only engaging with the subject matter — the comments boards on these two stories …

New Zealand health professionals are applauding a landmark report that outlines how to achieve healthy and sustainable eating patterns for a future global population of 10 billion people. The report was produced by the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health – a partnership between a global non-profit group and one of the world’s leading medical journals. It is the product …

Are cows evil? You could be forgiven for thinking so. If the alternative protein companies are right, it’s much better to eat reconfigured soy-protein with genetically modified heme, or even meat grown in a lab, than eat an actual cow. The question is timely because in a surprise move Fonterra announced last month it was  investing in Motif Ingredients, a Boston biotech startup …

The bromance between two Hollywood heavyweights has led to a project that could change the future of Kiwi farming. Avatar director James Cameron and Hobbit director Sir Peter Jackson have joined forces to create a “plant-based” food business. Rumours about the secret venture have swirled for two years, but the pair has remained tight-lipped until now. Speaking exclusively to TVNZ’s …

Vegan meat may soon become cheaper than its animal-based counterparts, according to a new report compiled by Liz Specht, PhD, senior scientist at food nonprofit Good Food Institute. In the report, Specht outlines the obstacles that plant-based food producers face when aiming to compete with meat companies. When it comes to profit margins, companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible …

Māori superfood company Kaitahi has taken the top honour at the biannual Te Mānu Te Atatū Whanganui Māori Business Awards. The business manager, Leonie Matoe believes that economic development is integral for Māori to thrive. It’s Māori business with an edge. Kaitahi is nourishing the masses while feeding into the dreams of South Taranaki iwi, Ngā Rauru Ki Tahi. Business manager, Leonie Matoe …

Earlier this year, GFI announced the winners of our inaugural Competitive Research Grant Program. Thanks to the generosity of two visionary donors, we were able to allocate three million dollars in research funding to fourteen scientists from all corners of the globe—from Estonia to China to Israel—for critical, open-access research in plant-based and cell-based protein. Over the next few months, …

Smart Natural Food Systems – It can be done! Significant opportunities exist for food producers to develop smart natural food systems that produce the most delicious and nutritious natural produce that focus on the well-being of “all” in the supply chain.  As food producers it is our responsibility to turn the focus to building outstanding natural produce from the ground …