Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects
Find out about Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) projects that have been funded so far.
Proof of concept re the supply of 'Verified Sustainable NZ Beef'
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $176,500
- Co-investment funding: $176,500
- Sectors: Meat
- Sub-sectors: Beef
- Project partners: ANZCO Foods, Greenlea, Silver Fern Farms, McDonalds, Beef + Lamb NZ
- Regions: Nationwide
This project used the McDonald’s supply chain to develop and pilot a verified whole of supply chain beef sustainability programme, covering farm to finished product. It brought together representatives from across the value chain to demonstrate how principles of sustainable beef production can be applied on farm and through processing.
Proof of concept report [PDF, 750 KB]
Sustainable beef – Video
Sustainably produced beef patties aimed to become new normal – MPI media release
Prototype app for mussel farm management
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $43,000
- Co-investment funding: $72,600
- Sectors: Agritech, Seafood/aquatic
- Sub-sectors: Land-based - shellfish
- Project partners: Code and Caviar Limited
- Regions: Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Marlborough, Northland, Tasman, Waikato
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.
Puāwaitia te Takapau Horanui
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $99,990
- Co-investment funding: $36,410
- Sectors: Agritech, Māori agribusiness
- Project partners: Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust
- Regions: Hawke's Bay
This project (part one of a four-phase plan) brought together a collective of Māori farms from across Hawke’s Bay to assess the use of long range, wide area network (LoRaWAN) infrastructure to support the deployment of sensor technology to rurally remote areas.
Pūhā pesto and the resto
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $415,000
- Co-investment funding: $96,000
- Sectors: Horticulture, Māori agribusiness
- Sub-sectors: Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Sunny Puha Limited Partnership
- Regions: Tasman
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.
QuadSense Mastitis Detector – Performance Testing, User Trials and Transfer to Manufacturing
- Project start date:
- Project length: 1 year
- MPI funding: $94,627
- Co-investment funding: $141,940
- Sectors: Dairy
- Project partners: Bovonic Limited
- Regions: Bay of Plenty
QuadSense Mastitis Detector is a prototype device that uses a novel (patent-pending) milk sensor and machine learning to identify mastitis in dairy cows. Through this project, Bovonic Limited will finish the verification and validation of the product and move it from prototype to production.
Raw wild game pet food (not freeze dried)
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $12,000
- Co-investment funding: $18,000
- Sectors: Meat
- Sub-sectors: Other meat products/research
- Project partners: Merit Meats Ltd
- Regions: Auckland, Otago
This project aimed to produce ethical, sustainable, and healthy pet food products made from pest species, such as wild venison and wild tahr. Initial formulations were well received by US customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. A second formulation was developed based on feedback and market research to meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for a complete and balanced pet diet. Merit Meats also tested a wider range of raw and air-dried products using wild venison and other feral protein sources. The company now delivers its pet food range to all states in the continental USA.
Recreational fishing self-reporting system
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $120,000
- Co-investment funding: $113,000
- Sectors: Agritech, Seafood/aquatic
- Sub-sectors: Wild - inshore fisheries
- Project partners: Fish Mainland
- Regions: Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson, Otago, Southland, Tasman, West Coast
This project will develop a self-reporting app for recreational fishers in the South Island Blue Cod Fishery, creating more reliable statistics and data regarding trends in catch and effort for blue cod and bycatch. Information provided will help to ensure the sustainability of the fishery and will better inform management decision making for the shared fishery.
Redefining great food: more plants on more plates for more people (and a better planet)
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $312,787
- Co-investment funding: $508,900
- Sectors: Food and beverage products, Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Food Nation
- Regions: Canterbury
Food Nation worked in partnership with New Zealand producers to develop a diverse range of plant-based food (including fungi and algae) options that are nutritious and sustainable. Their product range is now sold in grocery stores across New Zealand.
New food technology brings vegetables centre stage – MPI media release
New food technology brings vegetables centre stage – Food Nation
Reducing fruit loss in Central Otago - Validating global demand for fruit value streams
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $21,750
- Co-investment funding: $11,250
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Other fruit/fruit products
- Project partners: Central Otago District Council, LILO Desserts, Summerfruit New Zealand
- Regions: Otago
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.
Validating demand for Central Otago fruit value streams report – Central Otago District Council
Central Otago fruit loss: The unrealised potential – Central Otago District Council
Reducing off-target fertiliser application
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $292,500
- Co-investment funding: $195,000
- Sectors: Arable
- Sub-sectors: Other arable products
- Project partners: Lincoln Agritech Limited
- Regions: Canterbury
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.
Reducing tail damage on New Zealand dairy farms
- Project start date:
- Project length: 4 years
- MPI funding: $604,173
- Co-investment funding: $352,577
- Sectors: Animal health and welfare
- Sub-sectors: Other animal dairy products/research
- Project partners: Veterinary Enterprises Group Limited
- Regions: Nationwide
This project will gather data on tail damage in cattle to improve cattle welfare in New Zealand. It aims to gauge the prevalence and cause of damaged tails, as well as farmer attitudes towards and understanding of tail damage in New Zealand.
Reducing yield variability in process pea crops
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $301,031
- Co-investment funding: $186,229
- Sectors: Arable, Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Peas
- Project partners: Horticulture New Zealand
- Regions: Hawke's Bay
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.
Regenerative management systems for New Zealand vegetable production
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $404,965
- Co-investment funding: $600,000
- Sectors: Horticulture, Regenerative agriculture
- Sub-sectors: Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Countdown NZ, LeaderBrand Produce
- Regions: Gisborne
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
RegenHort - Boosting NZ horticulture through regenerative practices (Stage 1 - Opportunity Discovery)
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $100,000
- Co-investment funding: $100,000
- Sectors: Horticulture, Regenerative agriculture
- Sub-sectors: Other fruit/fruit products
- Project partners: Zespri International, Turners & Growers Global, Plant & Food Research
- Regions: Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay
This project was the first stage of a proposed six-year partnership, which aims to define, validate and implement regenerative horticultural practices that are valued by consumers in New Zealand and overseas. The project aims to improve environmental and social performance of New Zealand kiwifruit, apples, and berries growers while maintaining high production.
Repositioning New Zealand’s strong wool industry
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $1,948,000
- Co-investment funding: $2,922,000
- Sectors: Natural fibres, Sector resilience
- Sub-sectors: Animal-based fibres, Strong wool
- Project partners: Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand
- Regions: Nationwide
This project builds on over 10 years of market-led research into finding new, high-value uses for strong wool. It aims to take lab-scale products that have been developed through to pilot-scale production, while engaging with potential markets and customers to take the products to market.
Revitalising calf rearing
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $197,200
- Co-investment funding: $92,000
- Sectors: Dairy
- Sub-sectors: Other animal dairy products/research
- Project partners: Poukawa Research Foundation; On-Farm Research Limited; NZ Farm Media; Firstlight Foods
- Regions: Nationwide
This project produced new and updated research to better understand the role of fibre, milk volume and high fat milk replacer in feed for calves transitioning from milk to grass. This will help calf rearers make more informed decisions to optimise animal health and performance.
On-Farm Research report: Effect of milk inputs and fibre supplementation on calf feed intake and growth [PDF, 269 KB]
Roadmap for New Zealand Premium Cider Industry
- Project start date:
- Project length: 1 year
- MPI funding: $75,000
- Co-investment funding: $75,000
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Apples and pears
- Project partners: Cider Apples NZ Ltd
- Regions: Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Tasman
This project aims to develop a new industry in New Zealand that will supply premium cider both domestically and for export. It will develop a Roadmap that will identify and explore the key issues and work streams required to coordinate this emerging sector. The project will develop a plan for long-term growth.
Robotic asparagus harvester
- Project start date:
- Project length: 4 years
- MPI funding: $2,600,000
- Co-investment funding: $3,227,670
- Sectors: Agritech, Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Robotics Plus Limited, New Zealand Asparagus Council
- Regions: Nationwide
This project will develop a commercial-scale robotic asparagus harvester, building on a prototype version developed by Waikato University researchers. The harvester will help address the ongoing labour shortages in the asparagus industry, and support New Zealand asparagus growers to tap into high-value export markets.
Robotic asparagus harvester aimed at addressing industry challenges – Government media release
August 2021 to October 2022: Autonomous robotic asparagus harvester progress report [PDF, 185 KB]
Round comb honey production evaluation project
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $18,000
- Co-investment funding: $27,000
- Sectors: Apiculture
- Sub-sectors: Other apiculture products (wax/pollen products)
- Project partners: Ceracell Honey Ltd
- Regions: Nationwide
This project assessed whether feeding honey back to bees will increase the quality of honey into honeycomb sections. It resulted in some interesting insights into bee behaviour, and an improved understanding of feeding bees honey. The trial ultimately showed that this approach is not economical.
Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme
- Project start date:
- Project length: 7 years
- MPI funding: $7,480,901
- Co-investment funding: $11,221,351
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Viticulture
- Project partners: New Zealand Winegrowers, Bragato Research Institute, more than 20 wineries, Viticulture Nursery Association
- Regions: Nationwide
This new grapevine improvement programme aims to introduce diversity into our Sauvignon Blanc vines, and ensure they continue to thrive in New Zealand conditions, using the novel ‘transposon mutation’ technique. This will help mitigate current and future climate, pest and disease-related threats through traits such as improved drought or frost tolerance, and improved resistance to fungal attacks. It will also provide potential new wine styles.
Media releases
Government backs programme to future-proof Sauvignon Blanc vines – Government media release
Sauvignon Blanc Grapevine Improvement Programme update – New Zealand Winegrower
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc reference genome complete – Bragato Research Institute
Programme documents
Sauvignon Blanc Outcome Logic Model [PDF, 67 KB]
Quarterly progress report summaries
March 2024 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 1008 KB]
December 2023 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 1015 KB]
September 2023 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 148 KB]
July 2023 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 94 KB]
March 2023 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 103 KB]
December 2022 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 103 KB]
September 2022 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 122 KB]
June 2022 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 122 KB]
January to March 2022 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 87 KB]
December 2021 – Sauvignon Blanc 2.0 progress report [PDF, 88 KB]