Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects

This project successfully accelerated development of a world-first fire resistant, acoustic wall panel for commercial interiors made entirely from New Zealand strong wool. Now available for sale, the panel offers an environmentally friendly alternative to existing products made from synthetic materials.

Acoustic wool panels the latest innovation for New Zealand strong wool – Beehive

The project will enable Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporated to apply a Māori lens and a focus on sustainability to inform their apiculture, farming practices and subsequent market supply. The project includes mātauranga Māori farming research, mānuka management research and market analysis.

This project accelerated the establishment of a viable, sustainable, and innovative New Zealand Cashmere fibre industry which benefits farmers and the textile industry. On farm work has demonstrated a diversification option for farmers, providing breeding guidelines and NZ Cashmere Grower handbook. Fibre and market analysis workstreams have enabled the New Zealand textile industry to access the global textile and fashion market, fostering long-term security and investor confidence.

New Zealand Cashmere website

This project aimed to enable and empower Dairy Women’s Network members to farm for the future. It provided personalised coaching through peer-to-peer learning groups to extend the depth and breadth of farmers’ knowledge, and developed a central knowledge hub. Key to the success of the learning groups were good relationship building, clear, simple communications and inclusiveness.

Funding boost to empower women to farm for the future – Beehive

This project will trial and develop various techniques for growing high-value, organically produced medicinal cannabis commercially. By developing New Zealand owned IP and cultivars, local growers would be less reliant on imported varieties. As well as developing unique pharmaceutical-grade cultivars and seed stock, Puro will produce a production handbook that will be available to the wider industry. 

Media releases

Govt helps fast-track organic medicinal cannabis industry – Beehive

$13m grant turbocharges NZ’s medicinal cannabis industry – Puro

Programme documents

Puro Outcome Logic Model [PDF, 149 KB]

Quarterly progress report summaries

Puro quarterly progress report – January 2025 [PDF, 78 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – October 2024 [PDF, 187 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – July 2024 [PDF, 201 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – March 2024 [PDF, 157 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – January 2024 [PDF, 183 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – October 2023 [PDF, 154 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – July 2023 [PDF, 157 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – April 2023 [PDF, 152 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – December 2022 [PDF, 141 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – October 2022 [PDF, 107 KB]

Puro quarterly progress report – July 2022 [PDF, 106 KB]

This project seeks to innovate traditional wool knops to increase the ingredient’s market potential. Woollen buds or knops are wool fibres that have been processed to form small, light, fluffy balls. When used in large quantities as a filler ingredient (such as in woollen mattresses), these knops increase the bounce-back and compression resilience of the fibre.

Wool project aims to put money back in farmers’ pockets – MPI media release

This project will increase support for agriculture and horticulture science teachers in secondary schools. It will develop a support network of one full-time adviser and a support person based at St Paul’s Collegiate, and up to 16 part-time regionally based advisers. The network will provide support to teachers, create resources, and provide links to local primary industry partners.

Boost for agricultural and horticultural science in schools – Beehive

Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA)

This project will trial the Gravity Fishing method and determine its feasibility compared to conventional methods. The Gravity Fishing method is hook and line fishing and supports sustainable, traceable and transparent fishing. Customers order their fish online, which is then delivered directly to the customer, from hook to plate. The project will evaluate and update the online ordering platform to ensure it is fit for purpose.

The project attempted to introduce, test, and adapt a new-to-New Zealand high-pressure Smart Waterjet Weeder to NZ vineyards to control weeds in the vine rows. It trialled vegetation sensing and valve technology to the Smart Waterjet Weeder in an attempt to reduce water use and soil impact. Despite best endeavours the team were unable to cost effectively refine the weeder, however the wine producers, growers and the science team behind the project continue to pursue ways to achieve low input weed control outside of this project.

This programme will develop a prototype for New Zealand’s first sustainable, land-based salmon nursery. It will also trial growing Sockeye salmon in an aquaculture environment for the first time in New Zealand, and develop a new ready-to-eat processing standard for finfish.

Media releases

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon to build innovative land-based salmon farm in Twizel region – Mt Cook Alpine Salmon

Quarterly progress report summaries

January 2025 to March 2025 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 174 KB]

October 2024 to December 2024 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 175 KB]

July 2024 to September 2024 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 174 KB]

April 2024 to June 2024 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 179 KB]

January 2024 to March 2024 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 173 KB]

October 2023 to December 2023 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 217 KB]

April 2023 to June 2023 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 168 KB]

January 2023 to May 2023 - Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 163 KB]

October 2022 to December 2022 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 192 KB]

January 2022 to September 2022 – Project Nautilus progress report [PDF, 185 KB]

In a previous SFF Futures project, Woolchemy worked with overseas nappy manufacturers to see if neweFlex, their sustainable wool material developed for personal care products, could be produced at scale using existing manufacturing technology. This new project will work on optimising manufacturing of neweFlex wool material to the desired thickness required by nappy producers and subsequent commercial testing. Woolchemy will also develop a pilot plant for washable absorbent wool textiles to enable scaled-up consumer trials and determine commercial viability.

This project focused on developing a management strategy for control of Botrytis disease management in tunnel house blueberries. It found that crop monitoring and reacting with appropriate fungicides at first signs of the disease were essential. Tolerant varieties offer the best long-term option for berry growers to control Botrytis. In the short term, best management practices include maintaining an open plant canopy, clearing away dead and decaying plant tissue, and improving air flow to reduce inoculum levels. Best practice harvest management such as picking rotation timings and optimal post-harvest cool chain were also identified as major contributors to reducing the expression of Botrytis post-harvest.

This project will work with stakeholders to improve fertiliser spreading in New Zealand, and reduce off-target application. It will carry out agronomic research to assess and manage the level of economic loss from poor spreading quality. It aims to provide guidelines to ensure fertiliser spreading meets Spreadmark and Good Practice Management standards.

This project successfully supported the development of a now self-sustaining, purpose-built horticulture hub at Katikati College. The programme provides education, training opportunities, and career pathways into horticulture to secondary school students, youth Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs), and career changers. It was a collaborative approach between the Katikati Innovative Horticulture Trust, Katikati College, horticultural training providers, and the horticulture sector.

Katikati's GrowHub, new centre for educational excellence - The Orchardist magazine, page 28 [PDF, 13MB]

Working in partnership with producers and Cawthron, Aquaculture New Zealand will develop a set of science-based quality assurance standards for Greenshell mussel powder.  This will safeguard a uniquely New Zealand product and demonstrate authenticity within the market. It will also build customer and consumer confidence across high value domestic and international markets.

This project will refine the strong wool-based bandage prototype to make it suitable for manufacturing in a scaled-up environment. It will conduct further consumer trials, testing and market research.

This programme will focus on three technology streams aimed at significantly reducing agricultural greenhouse gases and nitrate leaching. These technologies will help farmers reduce nitrogen fertiliser use on pastoral farms while maintaining production and profitability.

Media releases

New investment aims to boost soil and freshwater health, and reduce emissions on farms – Beehive

New research harnesses soil fungus for environmental mitigation – Ravensdown

Programme documents

Smarter nitrogen management for a better New Zealand – Outcome logic model [PDF, 179 KB]

Quarterly progress report summaries

June 2024 to August 2024 – N-Vision progress report [PDF, 111 KB]

March 2024 to May 2024 – N-Vision progress report [PDF, 140 KB]

December 2023 to February 2024 - N-Vision progress report [PDF, 138 KB]

September 2023 to November 2023 - N-Vision progress report [PDF, 249 KB]

June 2023 to August 2023 – N-Vision progress report [PDF, 195 KB]

March 2023 to May 2023 – N-Vision progress report [PDF, 222 KB]

December 2022 to March 2023 – N-Vision progress report [PDF, 171 KB]

June 2022 to August 2022 – N-Vision NZ progress report [PDF, 175 KB]

March 2022 to May 2022 – N-Vision NZ progress report [PDF, 130 KB]

December 2021 to February 2022 – N-Vision NZ progress report [PDF, 136 KB]

The project has successfully developed a method of producing commercial-scale quantities of rodent bait containing norbormide. This is residue-free, meaning it is safe for use on farms.

Mainland Kiwi, supported by Start Afresh Ltd, led a grower-funded storage trial to understand the implications of on-orchard storage performance. The trial found that picking fruit at optimum maturity enables maximum storage potential. It also identified good harvest practices that are critical to fruit quality. As a result of this project, kiwifruit loss in storage reduced from more than 4% to below 1% in the Nelson region. The best practice guidelines created have been shared with kiwifruit growers.

Start Afresh Best Practice Guidelines [PDF, 998 KB]

Countdown and LeaderBrand are working with Plant & Food Research to explore regenerative farming practices, with a strong focus on validating the benefits and feasibility of incorporating regenerative agriculture principles and practices into intensive vegetable production in New Zealand. The project will assess the environmental, economic and social impacts of regenerative practices. This will include composting, cover crops and biodiverse perennial plantings. The project will emphasise community and iwi engagement.

Investigative Project Launched by Leaderbrand And Countdown – F&b Tech