Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects
Find out about Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) projects that have been funded so far.
Strong wool-based adhesive bandage
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $50,550
- Co-investment funding: $50,500
- Sectors: Natural fibres
- Sub-sectors: Animal-based fibres, Strong wool
- Project partners: NewCul
- Regions: Nationwide
This project successfully developed a prototype strong wool-based adhesive bandage that is 100% biodegradable. The bandage will protect wounds from friction, bacteria, additional damage and dirt, and will be free from petroleum-based products. NewCul received additioNewCulnal SFF Futures funding for Phase 2 of the project, which will work on refining the prototype.
Strong wool-based adhesive bandage – Stage 2
- Project start date:
- Project length: 1 year
- MPI funding: $191,064
- Co-investment funding: $296,597
- Sectors: Natural fibres
- Sub-sectors: Animal-based fibres, Strong wool
- Project partners: Newcul Ltd
- Regions: Nationwide
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.
Supporting NZ young farmers
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $72,000
- Co-investment funding: $54,350
- Sectors: Sector resilience
- Project partners: The NZ Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Inc
- Regions: Nationwide
This project evaluated the business need for a digital solution to support young people in the food and fibres sector. This platform would connect the young people to a range of services and resources, such as career guidance, leadership opportunities, mental health and wellbeing support, employment and experience opportunities.
Supporting Otago South catchment groups to improve ecosystem health
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $1,804,977
- Co-investment funding: $1,669,499
- Sectors: Dairy, Sector resilience
- Project partners: Otago South River Care
- Regions: Otago
This project will engage South Otago communities to improve ecosystem health, freshwater quality, and increase the value of food and fibre products produced in the district. The project involves community and school events, establishing farmer networks and catchment groups, implementation and demonstration of good management practices, water quality testing, the development of new innovative mitigation options, and research into consumer expectations for sustainable, high value food and fibre.
Sustainable produce farming
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2.5 years
- MPI funding: $869,716
- Co-investment funding: $1,286,500
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Southern Fresh Foods
- Regions: Waikato
This pilot project will trial various growing methods for leafy salad vegetables and herbs using an advanced greenhouse cropping system, with the aim of providing year-round production. The system has the potential to become New Zealand’s leading standard in sustainability, food safety and economic viability, while creating measurable solutions for New Zealand’s increasing environmental challenges.
100 percent crop yield target for new indoor growing tech – Government media release
Sustainable spas and saunas using NZ grown timbers and wool
- Project start date:
- Project length: 1 year
- MPI funding: $97,335
- Co-investment funding: $146,000
- Sectors: Forestry
- Sub-sectors: Other forestry products/research
- Project partners: Outdoor Gravity NZ Limited
- Regions: Bay of Plenty
This project will design, test and develop a uniquely designed range of hot tubs, saunas and spa covers made from sustainable New Zealand grown sources. This will include the use of native timber and wool insulation.
Sustainable vineyard floor project
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $24,785
- Co-investment funding: $55,793
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Viticulture
- Project partners: Villa Maria Estate, Indevin Group
- Regions: Auckland, Hawke's Bay
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]
SWAG to Wool Impact Transition Period
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $250,000
- Co-investment funding: $80,000
- Sectors: Natural fibres
- Sub-sectors: Animal-based fibres, Strong wool
- Project partners: Wool Impact
- Regions: Nationwide
This project enabled an efficient and successful transition from the Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) to Wool Impact, the industry service delivery body for strong wool. Wool Impact launched on 1 July 2022. Wool Impact aims to create new demand for New Zealand strong wool brands, products and services that meet sustainability driven consumer needs.
Takapau − A digital mat
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $157,580
- Co-investment funding: $21,600
- Sectors: Agritech, Horticulture, Māori agribusiness
- Project partners: Haunui Technology Group Limited
- Regions: Hawke's Bay
This project aimed to create an internet-of-things (IoT) platform to inform and improve farming practices on Māori-owned land in the Hawke’s Bay. Using the Te Aho Matua framework and Microsoft FarmBeats, the project has created a cloud-based platform with relevant environmental metrics. Data from land-based sensors and networks could not be collected in time due to supply shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant the project was unable to achieve all its intended outcomes. However, Haunui Technology Group plans to next use its cloud-based platform to monitor marine environments due to existing sensors in place.
Taking stock: Resolving NZ’s cultivated plants problem
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $420,000
- Co-investment funding: $471,500
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Floriculture
- Project partners: Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Inc
- Regions: Nationwide
This project confirmed the presence of several thousand exotic plant species in New Zealand, by adding resolved names to the BiotaNZ database and making submissions to the EPA. Part of this work involved combining – for the first time – nearly a quarter of a million collection records from botanic gardens and arboreta. This project helps address major knowledge gaps of what cultivated plants are present in New Zealand for faster, more informed plant importation and regulatory decisions, and improved access to new germplasm for plant production/breeding. Better documentation of our exotic flora will enable more effective management of biosecurity, pest plants, disease and biocontrol vectors, and living collections.
Tangata Whenua ki te Tangata Whenua (Halal Trading Model)
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $247,430
- Co-investment funding: $49,486
- Sectors: Māori agribusiness, Meat
- Sub-sectors: Other meat products/research
- Project partners: Manuaitu B10, Parāwera Trust, Ruatāhuna A Trust
- Regions: Bay of Plenty, Waikato
Making the transition to become an integral part of halal food, beverage supply and value chains requires skills, knowledge, experience and relationships. This project will focus on enabling Māori Agribusinesses to participate in this sector both nationally and internationally.
Taranaki dairy step change
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $222,600
- Co-investment funding: $290,500
- Sectors: Dairy
- Sub-sectors: Other animal dairy products/research
- Project partners: Dairy Trust Taranaki
- Regions: Taranaki
Dairy Trust Taranaki is partnering with DairyNZ's Step Change programme to create change on Taranaki dairy farms with the aim of increased profit, lower methane output and lower nitrogen surplus.
Te Ao Mārama
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $945,000
- Co-investment funding: $405,000
- Sectors: Arable
- Project partners: Te Whāi Ao Group Limited
- Regions: Bay of Plenty
This project embarks on an exploration of the plant bioactives sector, grounded in the foundations of mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori. Its primary objective is to evaluate the viability of establishing a robust value chain within this sector. The insights gleaned from this research will play a pivotal role in formulating a business case for prospective investments in the future.
Te māra Ora o Mamaku
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $529,748
- Co-investment funding: $232,020
- Sectors: Forestry, Māori agribusiness
- Sub-sectors: Other forestry products/research
- Project partners: Ora Innovation Group Limited
- Regions: Bay of Plenty, Northland, Waikato
The project delivered a science strategy to grow mamaku and develop high-value applications for mamaku extract. Three Māori landblocks were surveyed and provided a best practice guide for growing mamaku to establish supply. Digital tools were also built to establish the provenance, authenticity, and traceability of supply.
Te Moana-a-Toi Aquaculture: Business Case for Nga Iwi Te Rohe o Te Waiariki
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $546,000
- Co-investment funding: $230,400
- Sectors: Māori agribusiness, Seafood/aquatic
- Project partners: Te Kotahitanga O Te Arawa Waka Fisheries Trust Board
- Regions: Bay of Plenty
This project developed a set of models and business cases to inform potential iwi investment in aquaculture in the Bay of Plenty. It successfully promoted growth in the region and the aquaculture industry, and contributed to establishing processes and technologies that could be transferred to other regions and industries.
Te Riu o Waikato (Kaahui Tuwaa) Project
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years 9 months
- MPI funding: $496,200
- Co-investment funding: $99,240
- Sectors: Arable, Māori agribusiness
- Sub-sectors: Cereals
- Project partners: Kaahui Tuwa (Maara Kai) Project
- Regions: Waikato
This project is focused on improving outcomes for land, people and the community by providing land development support, as well as industry specific technical experts to help landowners grow kai on their whenua.
Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizons)
- Project start date:
- Project length: 7 years
- MPI funding: $8,036,535
- Co-investment funding: $3,548,720
- Sectors: Dairy, Regenerative agriculture
- Sub-sectors: Other animal dairy products/research
- Project partners: Ngāi Tahu Farming Limited, Ngāi Tūāhuriri
- Regions: Canterbury
This whole-farm scale study in North Canterbury aims to validate the science of regenerative farming. The programme will scientifically evaluate the financial, social and environmental differences between regenerative and conventional practices. It will compare outcomes on a 286-hectare dairy farm at Ngāi Tahu Farming’s Te Whenua Hou farming operation in North Canterbury with the conventional approach of the farm next-door.
Media releases
New programme to provide insights into regenerative dairy farming – Government media release
Quarterly progress report summaries
July to September 2023: Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizons) progress report [PDF, 219 KB]
April to June 2023: Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizons) progress report [PDF, 198 KB]
January to March 2023: Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizons) progress report [PDF, 196 KB]
October to December 2022: Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizons) progress report [PDF, 355 KB]
August to September 2022: Te Whenua Hou Te Whenua Whitiora (The New Land, The New Horizons) progress report [PDF, 199 KB]
The biology and impact of poplar sawfly
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $120,000
- Co-investment funding: $31,500
- Sectors: Forestry
- Sub-sectors: Conservation forestry
- Project partners: Scion
- Regions: Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū-Whanganui, Northland, Taranaki, Waikato, Wairarapa, Wellington
The project has improved understanding of this pest including likely impact, life cycle, and poplar susceptibility. It found that although spread was as expected, severity of impact was less, and resistance exists in some New Zealand poplar cultivars. This will feed into future work between Scion and Plant & Food Research to consider poplar sawfly’s impact and potential controls.
The Case for Change – Increasing Diversity in Forestry
- Project start date:
- Project length: 1 year
- MPI funding: $100,000
- Co-investment funding: $140,000
- Sectors: Forestry
- Project partners: Forest Growers Research Ltd
- Regions: Nationwide
This project will determine the aspirations and requirements for a sustainable and profitable forestry industry in the next 30 years, and what research and development is needed to achieve this. It will do this by engaging with multiple stakeholders both within the sector and in dependent sectors such as building and construction.
The good bugs – enhancing pollination and natural enemies in New Zealand
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $160,000
- Co-investment funding: $240,004
- Sectors: Agritech, Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Other fruit/fruit products, Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Gourmet Waiuku Limited
- Regions: Auckland
Natural enemies and bumble bee pollinators are key to the success of sustainable protected horticulture in New Zealand. This project is developing a new product from an indigenous beneficial mite, as well as enhancing the performance of bumblebee hives through innovative methods.
New research aims to increase longevity of bumblebee hives for NZ growers – MPI media release