Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects

This project developed a strategic plan to revitalise New Zealand’s honey sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path for the long term. The plan is based on three key pillars – Sustainability, Quality-Led and Consumer Focus – which support a goal of doubling New Zealand’s honey export value by 2030. That goal will be enabled by strengthening industry leadership, creating a sustainable industry reinvestment model, making sure regulatory needs are met to enable future growth, and creating a unique and differentiating New Zealand honey story. The strategy also considers what the industry needs to do to protect bee health and support beekeepers.

New Zealand Honey Strategy 2024-2030 – Thriving Together: Futureproofing New Zealand Apiculture

The project completed a feasibility study into establishing a shared food and beverage manufacturing facility in Te Tai Tokerau. The study found strong community and industry demand for processes such as juicing, freeze-drying, powdering and extraction. The next steps are finalising the draft business plan to attract investment for building the facility at Ngawha I&E Park.

Lifting yield is crucial to pea production as a viable crop in New Zealand. Process Vegetables NZ has investigated what factors affect pea crop yields to determine the most economic yield solutions. After seed analysis and field trials identified environmental factors affecting flowering spread, PVNZ developed best-practice guidelines for seed growers, seed merchants and vegetable processors.

This project aimed to initiate and drive change regarding antimicrobial use, and improve disease management on farms. Using Participatory Development methodology, farmer-led Sustainable Health Groups were created to develop farmer-initiated strategies to reduce antimicrobial use and improve disease management.

The project successfully demonstrated the value of this approach. On average, farmers enrolled in the study used 11% less antimicrobials compared to the previous year, while antimicrobial use increased by 3.5% amongst farmers not participating in the study.

National development of farmer-led Regional Sustainable Health Groups – Final project report [PDF, 2.1 MB]

This project aimed to make ZealaFoam available as a viable, sustainable packaging alternative for the seafood industry (and other primary producers), which mostly uses Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) packaging for transportation of fresh produce currently. The project successfully moved ZealaFoam products to commercial-speed production and provided packaging samples for primary producers. This proved that 100% plant-based packaging can be used to safeguard primary produce while meeting strict insulation and impact resistance requirements. This milestone has enabled the company to attract additional investment, which will accelerate the commercial production of the plant-based packaging in New Zealand and overseas.

Eco-packaging for seafood industry

This project developed and tested an extension framework enabling knowledge sharing between arable growers. Twenty-one Arable Growth Groups and four pathfinder farms have been established across New Zealand to undertake grower-led activities and research. The groups were praised by participants for building knowledge and connections and fostering a sense of community between growers. The groups created a range of resources to share learnings.

Growers Leading Change – Foundation for Arable Research (FAR)

This project successfully determined variances in pork eating quality based on Ph levels and using the immunological medicine Improvac. This information aims to encourage practice change within the industry and increase the amount of quality pork processed. NZPork plans to investigate other practices in the supply chain that could also be addressed to improve eating quality. 

Determining the variability in eating quality of New Zealand fresh pork report [PDF, 537 KB]

Pork workshop consumer study presentation [PDF, 7.5 MB]

Boar taint indicators of selected pork samples from entire and immunocastrated Improvac® males report [PDF, 470 KB]

This project gathered data from green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) farms to populate a database which was used to develop a prototype application (Mussel App). Mussel App enables data-driven decision making around farm operations. Once adopted the Mussel App will lead to improved resilience, increased productivity in existing water space, and ultimately an increase in revenue.

This project investigated the environmental and economic sustainability of native plants as an alternative to herbicides in New Zealand vineyards. The successful application of undervine native plant ground cover would require minimal intervention, reducing chemical usage and improving soil health. Production was found to decrease significantly in the trial sites compared to the control sites. The knowledge gained from the project could inform any future research.

Sustainable Vineyard Floor project – final report [PDF, 476 KB]

This project aimed to facilitate the uptake of sustainable construction products and methodologies, and promote the local New Zealand timber industry. V-Quest has developed a set of tools that enable interactive data analysis to balance cost and embodied carbon, and opportunities to optimise design efficiency.

V-Quest

The project developed and tested to prototype stage a free online tool for farmers to help them meet the new greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets that will come into effect in 2025. The market ready version of the tool will help farmers and communities apply landscape planning and farm land-use modelling to produce farm plans and land use changes that tackle known GHG and other environmental issues, including water management.

Integrated Farm Plan

The project was successful in developing tank-based methods to grow the seaweed Asparagopsis armata and seeding it onto mussel lines for further growth. The seeded lines were impacted by adverse weather so the marine trials could not be completed. Post-project activities will focus on an on-land system to provide biomass with more consistent bromoform content for use in animal feed.

Collaboration Tai Tokerau brought together 70 representatives across 11 sectors to identify projects that could achieve a co-designed vision of food, fibre and beverage industries and communities in Tai Tokerau that are resilient, prosperous and thriving. This resulted in 3 projects linked to the long-term goals of Tai Tokerau optimising its land use; developing food and beverage products and experiences that are in demand; and developing food, fibre and beverage industries that are workplaces of choice. The project laid the foundation for ongoing, mutually beneficial relationships between all parties, and a collaborative approach to shared challenges.

Collaboration Tai Tokerau macro strategy logic model [PDF, 69 KB]

This project tested and identified the best on-orchard and post-harvest treatments to reduce internal browning of PremA17 apples when exposed to warmer export markets.

The farming of freshwater kōura is not common in New Zealand but there is significant demand for it both nationally and internationally. This project will develop detailed business cases and infrastructure planning for a cluster of landowners to enter the freshwater kōura industry.

This project developed free online learning content covering plants and nutrients, nutrient management, fertiliser and irrigation performance assessments, running on-farm trials and developing nutrient budgets. This will help vegetable growers and the wider fresh vegetable production industry to meet increasing environmental expectations.

Access vegetable production nitrogen management courses – LandWISE

This project investigated lameness in dairy cows across the country. It aimed to define the problem, identify preventative strategies and improve lame cow treatment. The study was the first of its kind to report the prevalence of lameness from dairy farms across the country. It investigated farmer barriers and motivators to lameness control, and provided a systematic review on claw-horn lameness treatments. It was the first in the world to investigate a lameness control treatment in pasture-based heifers, and used unique methodology to look at lameness duration. 

The project has successfully raised farmer awareness of lameness on dairy farms and options for reducing its impact. It has resulted in veterinarians and farmers actively working together to identify lameness on-farm and making plans to reduce it.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, this project was able to deliver an enriching series of wānanga that have helped reconnect whānau to their customary land and water. Through a programme rooted in te ao Māori and maramataka, the project has accumulated and shared mātauranga Māori on growing indigenous crops through tikanga-led regenerative practices. Efforts to share insights and scale-up production at the māra will continue as extension and post-project activities.

A group of Waimakariri farmers facing significant nitrate restrictions developed a 'whole of farm business planning' approach and demonstrated new technology and management practices to help farm profitably within environmental limits. Outcomes have been shared with the wider farming community through workshops, video, print media, case studies and farm open-days.

News & Events – Waimakariri Landcare Trust

This project assisted a collective of food and beverage businesses in the Auckland region to improve their resilience, productivity, and sustainability. The project consisted of four workstreams - supporting the urban renewal of Onehunga; mussel farming in Clevedon; inter-regional alignment and collaboration between seafood sectors in Auckland and The Coromandel; and a business manufacturing plastic-alternatives from potato starch.

From the Ground Up: Creating a sustainable food and beverage economy – Tātaki Auckland Unlimited