The food and beverage sector is crucial to Aotearoa
The sector feeds our people and tens of millions of consumers globally. The wider food chain employs one in every five New Zealanders – and up to two in every five in the regions. And the sector is our primary economic driver, with exports worth $42.3 billion in the year ended June 2022.
But maintaining the sector’s good health doesn’t happen by accident. The Food and Beverage ITP aims to enhance the sector's strengths, while maximising new opportunities, and responding to challenges on the horizon.
Draft Food and Beverage Industry Transformation Plan [PDF, 2.3 MB]
Recognising the challenges ahead, the food and beverage sector has already been on a transformation path. This work has been led by businesses, Māori, and the Government through the Fit for a Better World roadmap. As well as challenges, Te Puna Whakaaronui – the food and fibre think tank – has outlined opportunities for the sector, in both its current strengths and emerging areas.
The opportunity for the sector is to transform. From being seen only as a global provider of dairy and meat commodities, to being recognised as a global leader in environmental excellence, providing both traditional and emerging foods that are high-quality and nutrient-rich.
A transformed sector will deliver more value for less output. It will lift our productivity, underpin our economy, and deliver a high-wage, low emissions future for all. It will also limit our reliance on particular sectors or markets by creating a broader, more evolved export portfolio, with offerings for a wider consumer base capturing value from new markets.
Draft Food and Beverage ITP – 1-page overview [PDF, 320 KB]
Feedback about our draft Food and Beverage ITP
We released our draft Food and Beverage Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) on 1 December 2022. Consultation on the plan was open until 12 March 2023.
Summary of submissions from public consultation, May 2023 [PDF, 794 KB]
Preview the online survey questions [PDF, 217 KB]
