New Zealand’s “clean, green, grass-fed” message isn’t unique and exporters should instead focus on the nutritional benefits of their food products, Andy Elliot says. Elliot spent much of last year studying the business models of New Zealand producers and exporters as part of the Nuffield agricultural scholarship programme. He says that in order to get more value from existing production, the country needs to find a way …

Genetics and chicory are giving rise to a high-country sheep so tasty that the meat industry sees it as a potential saviour.  Languishing lamb sales could be in for a boost from a project that aims to produce sheep meat to rival wagyu beef. Sheep, which number about 27 million in this country, are the fourth-most-eaten livestock in the world. …

At Dave Harper’s family farm in New Zealand’s scenic Canterbury region, a painstakingly bred flock of lambs is grazing, not on grass, but on a field of herbs selected to unlock healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the animals’ meat. Known as ‘Te Mana lambs’, they are part of an effort by the island nation to future-proof its agricultural sector from …

Alison is a fifth generation farmer, veterinarian and ecologist. Her experience spans Dairying in NZ and Australia, production animal medicine, business development. She previously worked for Nestle Australia in Business Development & Quality Assurance, Commonwealth Bank in lending, and managed Intelact Australia. She has skills in animal health and nutrition, agricultural business performance, adult education, policy and ecosystem health. She …

Consultation on the Government’s Zero Carbon Bill, which sets up a new legal and institutional framework for climate policy, has just ended. Every sector in New Zealand will be affected by this proposed legislation – sheep and beef farmers are no exception. And there is no doubt the proposals have sparked robust debate and discussion among many farmers during the …

Work by farmers on a Hawke’s Bay project aiming to cut their nitrogen losses has provided valuable lessons and highlighted the challenges ahead. The “Greening Tukituki” project that included two dairy farmers and two drystock farmers from the Tukituki catchment aimed to help them meet their nutrient loss obligations under the Hawkes Bay Regional Council (HBRC) plan change 6. The …

For decades, Irish farmers, scientists and politicians have flocked to New Zealand to learn how we farm so well. They saw us as global leaders. No longer. On Monday Irish farmers featured prominently in their country’s launch of its response to the global climate crisis. They will significantly reduce their emissions to help Ireland meet its national goals and its …

The cattle ranchers and farm bureaus of America are not going to give up their hold on the word meat without a fight. In recent weeks, beef and farming industry groups have persuaded legislators in more than a dozen states to introduce laws that would make it illegal to use the word meat to describe burgers and sausages that are …

The protein shift has landed in New Zealand – what was merely a promise from offshore is now here. Our protein industry is evolving and our industry is no longer talking about what might be, could be or should be possible, but is taking steps to ensure its position in a consumer-driven world. Proteins can be derived from a wide …

Change is coming and farmers can either take it by the hand or it will grab them by the throat. The magnitude of this change meant farmers have to begin planning to avoid future pain, environmentalist Guy Salmon told dairy farmers at the Waikato Small Milk and Supply Herds group conference at Lake Karapiro. “If we don’t, it’s going to be much more difficult to make those …

We don’t know who discovered water but it wasn’t the fish. A fear of water taxes is gripping farming and here is how I expect pastoral farmers to respond if it becomes a reality. Firstly, there will be a new interest in soil surfaces. Farmers want soils that absorb water rapidly and release it slowly. That isn’t going to happen …

The Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai and The Good Food Institute India are partnering to set up the world’s first government research center for the development of clean meat. India is a key market in the global food system We’ve written before about why India is a crucial market for plant-based and cell-based innovation: our population will account for …

Shaun Hendy, Director of Toha NZ, will be presenting on Science, but not as we know it! “For the last century, science has been dominated by government with very little role for the public or communities in selecting, funding or participating in the science that gets done in their backyard. The rise of new technologies and citizen science are set …

A “bunch of really smart guys” are setting out to put the top of the south at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence technology. The Nelson Artificial Intelligence Institute has flown under the radar but the team behind it are quietly working on or eyeing up potentially world-leading aquaculture and marine projects, including understanding and hopefully stopping whale strandings. Institute directors Brian …

As chief executive of a two billion dollar agriculture sector business I have the job of trying to figure out how we make the transition from a traditional farming business, which has been New Zealand’s backbone for over a century, to a new, yet to be fully defined, farming future. But before we look to the future, here’s a bit …

Radical action is needed to combat increasing rate of environmental damage to water sources, land, biodiversity and marine life, report shows. Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, meaning the rate of deterioration is increasing globally, the most comprehensive environmental study ever undertaken by the UN has found. The …

Blinc’s recent Sustainable Protein event, focused on how we ensure Healthy People along with a Healthy Planet, laid out the challenges in this complex area. What is clear is that we don’t have all the answers. It will be important as we work on these to consider the unintended consequences of diets we recommend or of the new regulations and …

Impossible Foods is widely known for its vegan “bleeding” beef-like Impossible Burger, available at major restaurant and fast food chains across the U.S, including Burger King. According to a new report from the company, Impossible Foods could be setting its sights on another market: the fish industry. In its 2019 Impact Report, Impossible Foods states, “our platform has never been burger-specific. …

Bennie is the Executive General Manager of Life Health Foods, and will be presenting at ProteinTECH 2019! Bennie will share insights on what is motivating New Zealand consumers to choose more plant based foods, drawn from new local research. Hendricks will discuss consumer attitudes and drivers of lifestyle and food decisions and how this varies between different consumer groups. Concluding …

Vegan diners awaiting Ikea’s new plant-based “meatballs” don’t have long to wait. Furniture giant Ikea is close to finalizing its new item, with in-store testing planned for this fall before a global rollout in summer 2020, managing director for Ikea food services Michael La Cour said in an interview. That’s faster than the trials originally scheduled for “early next year.” …