Tag: Future of Food

October 10, 2025 Unlocking Plant Protein Ingredient Value: Australia and New Zealand in Review. This report was developed by FoodHQ following the release of Food Frontier’s The Case for a National Plant Protein Ingredient Industry, which sparked important conversations about the future of plant protein across Australasia. In recent months, we’ve seen a resurgence of discussion around plant protein in New Zealand, and for good reason. We believe New Zealand, like Australia, is now at an inflection point: the opportunity to pivot toward high-value plant protein ingredient production...

July 21, 2025 A new class of weight loss drugs called GLP-1 agonists is driving down consumers’ appetites at an unprecedented scale, forcing the food industry to reconsider long-established assumptions about what we eat – and how much. As GLP-1’s popularity booms, experts are asking, is this a fad or a fundamental shift for the food and beverage industry? New Zealand food producers assume they’re feeding an endlessly hungry world. What happens when the world loses its appetite, eats smaller portions, and no longer wants a leg of...

July 21, 2025 Palmerston North is rapidly evolving into a major economic hub, attracting tech companies, logistics firms, and innovative enterprises thanks to its central location, affordability, and strong infrastructure. With over 120 tech businesses and growing investment in transport and research facilities, it’s gaining a reputation as New Zealand’s Silicon Valley. The city’s economic diversity, resilience, and quality of life are drawing talent and business leaders who see long-term potential in the region. “Once known for students, sports and sheep, this unassuming city...

June 12, 2025 With support from CEDA, FoodHQ Innovation is proud to announce our Food Technology Scholarship is now open for applications! At FoodHQ, we’re passionate about shaping the future of New Zealand’s food and agrifood sectors – and that future begins with our students. This scholarship is our way of supporting the next generation of innovators and changemakers who will lead and transform the industry. The Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) connects people, place and business in Manawatū. Working closely with our partners, stakeholders and wider business...

May 14, 2025 Last week, we bid a warm farewell to our wonderful intern, Lilian Macharia, as she wrapped up her placement here at FoodHQ. It has been an absolute pleasure having Lilian as part of our team—her energy, curiosity, and dedication brought so much value to our work and culture. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside her and witness her growth over the course of her internship. While we’re sad to see her go, we’re also excited to see what the future holds for Lilian as she embarks on her next adventure. We have no doubt she’ll continue to...

May 2, 2025 “Some areas of New Zealand are showy about their successes, and others are quiet achievers, doing what they do every day with little fanfare. The Manawatū region definitely falls into the latter category, despite its huge significance as a driving force behind one of New Zealand’s most vital industries.“ Read More Latest Articles

May 2, 2025 “For more than 35 years, the New Zealand Food Awards, proudly owned and operated by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, have celebrated excellence, innovation and sustainability across the nation’s food and beverage sector and are widely respected for their credibility. The Awards showcase the full range of the industry, including fast-moving consumer goods, ingredient suppliers, primary producers, artisan creators and everything in between. Organisers are encouraging businesses of all sizes to enter and share the stories that set them apart between 1-30 May,...

Apr 27, 2025 The sector is starting from a low base, but with investment in science and technology, matched with more fit-for-purpose regulations, it could take a fair share of the growing global market. Climate change creates extraordinary stress on aquaculture. Land based biosecurity expertise could provide a unique opportunity. New Zealand could become a scale player in aquaculture if it can conquer the high energy South Pacific Ocean. Scepticism surrounds the...

Dec 17, 2024 New Zealand has a strong record of discovery and inventiveness in high demand areas such as protein, fruit and food service, and while we are reaching our volume limits, research, science and innovation could help increase the value of food and fibre exports. The innovation talent base is declining, the innovation ‘system’ is fragmented, and New Zealand’s track record of large-scale, value-add commercialisation of new product categories could be better improved if we had a more connected, sophisticated innovation...

Dec 17, 2024 Red meat faces four major headwinds: changing consumer demand, China’s slowdown, trade protectionism and new protein technologies. Red meat is not necessarily bad – it’s globally perceived as badly grown and badly served. New Zealand is uniquely placed to build on its grass-fed advantage to be nature-positive.  Disruption of the red meat sector with new and novel proteins may still be decades away but is a real threat as many companies globally are working on...