Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects

The aim of this project is to replicate the stock and land care practices on Pohaturoa Station, to increase the productivity and profitability of two other land blocks.

This project quantified the global demand trends for selected fruit value streams to help identify options for fruit that is currently grown in Central Otago but does not end up being sold or consumed by humans. The work has greatly increased the knowledge base for businesses looking to develop products from Central Otago fruit. 

Central Otago fruit loss: The unrealised potential – Central Otago District Council

This project focuses on both standard and diverse pastures and conventional and regenerative management practices. It’s taking place across several research sites to assess the suitability and relevance of regenerative agriculture in New Zealand. The project will measure multiple aspects across the farm system, exploring the impact on soils, pasture performance, animal production and welfare (dairy and sheep), nutrient levels and losses, carbon production and storage and product quality. The results gained from the project will provide a robust evidence base for both conventional and regenerative practices, with results being incorporated into scientific and industry models, and tested across a wide range of partner sites across New Zealand, to inform the international marketing of our agricultural products.

Media releases

Government backs largest ever pastoral farming study on regenerative farming practices – Beehive

Whenua Haumanu – Nurturing the land through exploring pastoral farming – YouTube (3.02)

Programme documents

Outcome logic model [PDF, 168 KB]

Quarterly progress report summaries

January 2025 to March 2025: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 248 KB]

October 2024 to December 2024: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 243 KB]

July 2024 to September 2024: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 335 KB]

April 2024 to June 2024: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 252 KB]

January 2024 to March 2024: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 181 KB]

October 2023 to December 2023: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 187 KB]

July 2023 to September 2023: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 222 KB]

February 2022 to June 2023: Whenua Haumanu progress report [PDF, 175 KB]

This project developed an orchard growing software system focused on cherries with a database built around individual trees, called FruitMinder. FruitMinder gives growers tools to make informed decisions about resource use and requirements, emissions, and yield. It has potential to increase productivity and work well with automated orchard systems.

Digital tree ‘tag’ on way for orchards – Farmers Weekly

This project aims to develop and test the methodology to allow the targeted breeding of King salmon in elevated water temperatures.

The project surveyed the composition and potential bioactivity of mono and multifloral honeys from Rēkohu/Wharekauri (Chatham Islands) and presented findings to industry stakeholders. This research into the properties of locally grown honey will potentially enable unique products to be developed by the Chatham Islands apicultural industry.

This research programme aims to provide an evidence base around transitioning exotic forest to natives in New Zealand. It will involve surveys, experiments and modelling examining different pine or eucalyptus canopies to see how native forest species are able to regenerate both underneath and within naturally thinning canopies.

This project investigated, developed, and validated a proprietary green chemistry process to transform waste bivalve shell (from mussels and oysters) into ultra-high purity pharmaceutical grade calcium carbonate and other higher value minerals.

This project follows on from Branching Out Phase 1 and will work in 6 sectors to confirm that diversification in food and fibre value chains is possible and practical. It will undertake growing trials on farms/orchards, pilot product prototypes, and provide case studies as well as practical tools for implementation. The 6 sectors include hemp fibre, medicinal ingredients, indigenous ingredients, hops, gin botanicals, and high value food crops.

Branching Out – Venture Taranaki

This project aimed to find a cost-effective method to grow high yielding, out of season strawberries in a controlled vertical farm.

It determined that the key factors for success are high health plants, pollination, air flow, and nutrients. It also concluded the grow system needed refining to make it more cost-effective, modular, and simpler to build and maintain. This would make it easier to use and harvest fruit from. Electricity price is a major cost, so the system is only commercially viable at high yields.  

Foxton's Winter Strawberries – Seven Sharp story

This project aims to develop an improved testing device for American Foulbrood and varroa mites – two serious pathogens that affect the apiculture industry. The device would be able to detect pest DNA and could be used by beekeepers in the field.

This pilot project assessed the feasibility of enhancing sea urchins (kina) in land-based aquaculture systems with a specialised aquafeed to produce roe (or uni) for export markets in East Asia. Removing kina from the marine environment is also enabling rapid recovery of kelp forests, which are essential for marine health. The project has identified a pathway to a new commercial industry that will provide commercial, social and environmental benefits.

This pilot project will test the efficacy of Waiora Research Limited’s eClean Bioreactor technology on a 1:10 scale in different types of farming systems. The technology is able to remove nitrates, phosphate, E.coli and other chemical and biological contaminants from any water-based environment, and has sensor capability enabling real time monitoring of the removal rates of contaminants.

Water cleaning research heads to the farm – Ara | Te Pūkenga

This project developed and ran a series of workshops for farmers to examine options and solutions for succession planning on farm. After leveraging existing resources, the project assessed farmers’ needs when developing their succession plan. It identified appropriately qualified presenters to deliver the workshops. Eight workshops were held across the country, offering dairy farmers a framework for successfully navigating this transition.

This project used an AI-based scanning system to develop grapevine trunk disease detection and simulation tools for winegrowers to understand the vineyard heath and productivity of every vine. Growers will be able to use these tools to support long-term vineyard planning. It will enable potential yield losses, replanting costs, and disease mitigation outcomes. This will allow more sustainable and economical vineyard management.

You Know I Can’t Harvest Your 'Ghost Vines' – Scoop

This project will design and develop machine knitted acoustic textile products from strong wool for high-end commercial and residential interiors. It will work across the wool value chain including wool grower, design, prototyping and manufacturing, with the goal of supporting the New Zealand strong wool fibre industry.

This project aims to establish a whānau-run food business that can scale-up the production of pūhā and develop up to 3 processed food products using cultivated pūhā. It will develop a comprehensive system for seed collection, propagation, growing, and harvesting pūhā.

This project aimed to commercially validate the technology to produce advanced lignin raw materials derived from the by-product of the wood pulping process (black liquor). Futurity has advanced the understanding of how New Zealand lignin from radiata pine can be commercially competitive and provide low-carbon alternatives to petrochemicals. Increasing the scale of production of lignin toward pilot scale has demonstrated that this is technically possible.

Wood petrochemical substitutes one step closer – Newsroom

This project effectively evaluated the use of Hyperspectral imaging and modern AI technologies to identify weed seed contamination of seed lots. It proved the value of these technologies for more efficient seed identification in commercial scenarios such as border biosecurity and seed testing in labs.

Hyperspectral seed imaging final report [PDF, 1.2 MB]

The project will assess the economic and environmental impacts of adopting regenerative farming within a typical New Zealand cropping system, in particular studying the effects in degraded soils. It will take place on an established demonstration cropping farm in the Heretaunga Plains run by LandWlSE. The demonstration cropping farm will be split into replicate plots and three different management systems will be tested: fully conventional; fully regenerative; and a hybrid system.

Carbon positive project to research impact of regenerative farming practices – Government media release