Key facts about the food and fibre sector workforce
New Zealand has a strong reputation for exporting high-quality and sustainable foods and fibres, thanks to the efforts of people across the sector.
The food and fibre workforce is large and has many different roles and skill requirements.
Producing food and fibre means managing complex biological, food safety, and logistic systems – and being able to respond to and meet consumer needs.
In 2023, the food and fibre sector employed more than 360,000 unique people or about 1 in 7 people in the New Zealand workforce. This includes:
- 173,000 people employed in core production
- 88,000 people employed in core processing/manufacturing
- 73,000 people employed in strongly connected industries – for example, veterinarians, or fertiliser manufacturing
- 25,000 in relevant industries – for example, road freight, or engineering design
- 6,000 in other industries – for example, contractors supplying labour services.
How the food and fibre workforce compares to the New Zealand workforce
The food and fibre workforce is broadly similar to the New Zealand workforce in terms of age, ethnicity, and education. However, it's not as gender balanced as the New Zealand workforce with a higher proportion of men. The demographics of the workforce also varies across sectors and regions, which highlights areas with potential gains from improving diversity.
Jobs in food and fibre are becoming more specialised
It’s an exciting time to work in the food and fibre sector. To ensure our world-class exports continue to compete in international markets, the sector continues to adapt and evolve due to several factors including:
- higher consumer expectations
- a greater focus on sustainability
- new technologies
- an increasingly complex global supply chain.
The future of work in the food and fibre sector will become increasingly specialised driven by:
- sophisticated technologies
- a growing market in Asia
- critical issues around food safety, biosecurity, sustainability, and animal welfare.
Our ongoing food and fibre success calls for workers with a range of experience and expertise. For example, workers in the food and fibre sector will often need non-traditional skills such as language and cultural understanding.
Find out more
Future careers in the food and fibre sector
Food and fibre workforce insights website
Teacher resources about the primary industries
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has published teacher resources and classroom activities. These focus on the primary industries, biosecurity, and food safety. We put together sets of learning activities that teachers can use for subjects like mathematics, science, social studies, and technology.
