Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures projects
Find out about Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) projects that have been funded so far.
Estuary bioremediation: Pilot trial of land-based seaweed and aquaculture for bioremediation of diffuse source nutrients
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $697,562
- Co-investment funding: $297,840
- Sectors: Seafood/aquatic
- Sub-sectors: Other seafood/aquatic products/research
- Project partners: AgriSea
- Regions: Waikato
This project will trial the effectiveness of land-based seaweed aquaculture for estuary bioremediation. A pilot-scale facility will pump water from the Waihou River through an aquaculture system containing seaweed. The water will be discharged back into the river while the seaweed is harvested and tested to assess its bioremediation capabilities. The harvested seaweed biomass will be assessed for suitability for applications such as bio-stimulants.
Land-based seaweed trial a nationwide first – Government media release
Evaluating management procedures and development of a Harvest Control Rule for BCO 5
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $32,000
- Co-investment funding: $48,000
- Sectors: Meat, Seafood/aquatic
- Sub-sectors: Other meat products/research
- Project partners: BCO 5 Association Inc
- Regions: Southland
This project modelled various harvest strategies for commercial blue cod in Southland – BCO5. A harvest control rule was developed that allows for annual changes to the BCO5 Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC). The modelling showed that this provides better sustainability than fixed-harvest TACC settings. The new BCO5 harvest control rule is ready to go out for consultation in 2022.
Evaluating regenerative farming principles and developing farmer resilience on a dryland demonstration farm
- Project start date:
- Project length: 4.5 years
- MPI funding: $1,530,000
- Co-investment funding: $550,000
- Sectors: Arable, Regenerative agriculture
- Project partners: On-Farm Research, AgFirst, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Barenburg New Zealand, Poukawa Research Foundation
- Regions: Hawke's Bay
This project will scientifically test and incorporate new forage management practices and principles of regenerative farming into a dryland sheep and cattle farming system. Practices like utilising compost, diverse seed mixtures, longer feed residuals, and deferred grazing will be compared against conventional farming practices within a dryland system. The project will also focus on improving farmer resilience and decision making.
Expansion of mamaku business: Building and equipment assessment
- Project start date:
- Project length: 1 year
- MPI funding: $180,500
- Co-investment funding: $57,450
- Sectors: Nutraceuticals/medical
- Project partners: Ora Innovation Group Ltd
- Regions: Waikato
This project aims to develop a business case for a new processing facility that is fit-for-purpose for the immediate and future expansion of Ora Innovation New Zealand Limited’s mamaku business. It will assess building and site requirements; trial new equipment; develop a Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) plan; assess information technology requirements; and analyse the facility’s financial feasibility.
Exploring sustainable Māori aquaculture in Waiariki
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $600,000
- Co-investment funding: $200,000
- Sectors: Māori agribusiness, Seafood/aquatic
- Project partners: Te Arawa Fisheries Limited
- Regions: Bay of Plenty
Te Arawa Fisheries Limited, on behalf of Ngā Iwi i Te Rohe o Te Waiariki (NIOW), is progressing toward large-scale aquaculture development that aims to unlock the full potential of aquaculture in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. This is stage 4 of the programme and aims to develop two Investment Memorandums to explore a large commercial development of aquaculture projects in the region. It will put in place the people, legal structures, and investment to enable NIOW to partner with iwi and other investors in one or more priority aquaculture projects.
Extension 350 enhancing associate farmer engagement and project evaluation
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $490,150
- Co-investment funding: $121,770
- Sectors: Dairy, Meat
- Sub-sectors: Beef, Cow dairy products, Sheepmeat (including lamb)
- Project partners: Northland Inc, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, NRC
- Regions: Northland
This project aimed to achieve deeper and more consistent engagement with associate farmers, to support the wider objectives of the Extension 350 (E350) project. It provided value through facilitated workshops, farmer focused activities and additional associate group meetings. The project supported an independent evaluation of E350 which indicated positive outcomes for most of the participating farmers. These included increased farm profitability, and improved environmental sustainability and farmer wellbeing.
Facial Eczema RAT prototype development and field testing
- Project start date:
- Project length: 14 months
- MPI funding: $35,773
- Co-investment funding: $53,659
- Sectors: Agritech, Meat
- Sub-sectors: Other meat products/research
- Project partners: Tokaora Diagnostics Ltd
- Regions: Nationwide
This project aims to develop a rapid antigen test (RAT) for facial eczema (FE) in sheep, cattle and deer. FE is a disease of the liver and shows no physical symptoms until it is too late to save the animal. Currently there is no cheap, on-farm diagnostic. The test will allow better management of the disease and reduce its substantial economic impact, while improving animal welfare.
RAT on horizon to manage facial eczema on farm – MPI media release
Farm animals locomotion monitoring using computer vision and machine learning
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $40,000
- Co-investment funding: $60,000
- Sectors: Animal health and welfare
- Sub-sectors: Other animal dairy products/research
- Project partners: Iris Data Science
- Regions: Nationwide
This project completed a proof of concept for a locomotion scoring system that continuously monitors animals throughout their life on a farm. This system detects lameness early and reduces the prevalence of lameness, resulting in less suffering, less cost and less culling. The next step is to bring the product to market.
Farm management practices to reduce soil compaction under irrigation and grazing
- Project start date:
- Project length: 5 years
- MPI funding: $948,100
- Co-investment funding: $879,000
- Sectors: Dairy
- Project partners: Federated Farmers of New Zealand Incorporated
- Regions: Nationwide
This project aims to develop practical management strategies to measure and mitigate soil compaction under pasture irrigation. It will do this by identifying appropriate wait times between irrigation and grazing.
Farming 2030
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $38,500
- Co-investment funding: $29,175
- Sectors: Dairy
- Sub-sectors: Other animal dairy products/research
- Project partners: Tasman Environmental Trust
- Regions: Nelson
The Farming 2030 project combined active community engagement with a pilot farm in Golden Bay to develop a holistic sustainable farming model. The insights from this project have been captured in two reports. One report outlines how permaculture thinking can be applied to a commercial dairy farm environment, and the other provides advice for improved soil health using regenerative farming techniques.
Farming for the future leader's programme
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $473,261
- Co-investment funding: $303,360
- Sectors: Dairy, Sector resilience
- Project partners: Dairy Women's Network
- Regions: Nationwide
This project aims to enable and empower members to farm for the future. It will expand the number of Dairy Women’s Network Business Groups and pilot a programme of wrap-around services. The project will provide coaching to support Business Group leaders, develop a central knowledge hub and assess the impact of the programme on the food and fibre sector.
Funding boost to empower women to farm for the future – Government media release
Farming with Native Biodiversity
- Project start date:
- Project length: 20 months
- MPI funding: $998,200
- Co-investment funding: $430,000
- Sectors: Meat, Regenerative agriculture
- Sub-sectors: Beef, Sheepmeat (including lamb)
- Project partners: New Zealand Landcare Trust, Silver Fern Farms, Living Water Partnership
- Regions: Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Waikato
This is a project pilot to develop science-based resources that enable farmers to take long-term affirmative action for biodiversity on their farm. The project will work with farmers, catchment groups, councils and others to develop case studies in different regions, people capability and co-develop resources that will bring biodiversity into farm systems thinking and provide proof of concept for applying nationally.
Fast-tracked UAV certification
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $120,000
- Co-investment funding: $180,000
- Sectors: Arable
- Project partners: Aerolab Holdings Ltd
- Regions: Nationwide
This project aims to remove a significant barrier to adopting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). It will create a new certification process that allows new UAV owners to operate immediately, rather than the current 12 to 18 month period. This will remove the current time delay between purchasing the equipment and being able to operate the aircraft. The project will also develop an agriculture-specific training course for UAV pilots in New Zealand.
Feasibility and pilot of Kaikoura octopus potting
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years
- MPI funding: $149,650
- Co-investment funding: $202,100
- Sectors: Seafood/aquatic
- Sub-sectors: Other seafood/aquatic products/research
- Project partners: Colin Gordon Buschl
- Regions: Marlborough
This project will trial a method of octopus potting not currently used in New Zealand. It will use octopus trigger pots, which have been designed to target and catch only octopus. These have been proven highly successful overseas.
Feasibility of growing hi-oleic peanuts in Northland
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $59,535
- Co-investment funding: $31,785
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Nuts
- Project partners: Picot Productions Ltd, Plant & Food Research
- Regions: Northland
Four sites were established at Kai iwi lakes, Te Kopuru, Ruawai, and Kerikeri to determine the feasibility of growing hi-oleic peanuts in Northland. Four cultivars were trialled, and valuable agronomic information was collected regarding varying soil types and specific weed, pest, and disease challenges. One cultivar performed well, suggesting commercial yields similar to average yields in Australia could be achieved. Further research is required to validate commercial viability.
Pic’s Peanut Butter to trial growing peanuts in Northland – MPI media release
Feasibility of growing Hi-Oleic peanuts in Northland: final report [PDF, 1.4 MB]
Feasibility of growing hi-oleic peanuts on a commercial scale in Northland
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $698,750
- Co-investment funding: $300,000
- Sectors: Horticulture
- Sub-sectors: Nuts
- Project partners: Northland Inc, Picot Productions, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research
- Regions: Northland
A previous SFF Futures project tested the feasibility of growing peanuts in Northland and demonstrated they can be grown there successfully. This project will build upon the initial findings to determine whether it is financially viable to plant, harvest, and process peanuts at scale in Northland.
Northland peanut industry dream one step closer – MPI media release
Feasibility of mulch-direct planting and minimum till cultivation in commercial vegetable production systems in the Manawatu
- Project start date:
- Project length: 3 years 10 months
- MPI funding: $89,369
- Co-investment funding: $160,620
- Sectors: Horticulture, Regenerative agriculture
- Sub-sectors: Other vegetables/vegetable products
- Project partners: Wholegrain Organics
- Regions: Manawatū-Whanganui
This project's mission is to support the transition of commercial vegetable production operations in New Zealand to regenerative farming practices with the lowest risk possible to the farmer and maximum benefits to the environment. It will undertake a proof of concept trial of mulch-direct planting for commercial vegetable production in New Zealand conditions and provide robust measures of the environmental benefits.
Find-A-Pest
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $255,445
- Co-investment funding: $136,000
- Sectors: Agritech, Forestry
- Sub-sectors: Other forestry products/research
- Project partners: Scion
- Regions: Nationwide
The Find-A-Pest app, which enables members of the community to participate in biosecurity surveillance of biosecurity pests and environmental weeds, is now widely used by industry and regional councils. Its functionality was improved through the SFF Futures project. The project is now directed by a governance group that includes MPI, regional councils, the Department of Conservation and primary sectors. App development and an engagement coordinator is supported by ongoing funding from central and local government agencies and primary sectors to ensure that Find-A-Pest is available as an early reporting and information tool for biosecurity surveillance in New Zealand. The app can be found at Findapest.nz or downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores.
FlipFarm seabased nursery pilot (oysters)
- Project start date:
- Project length: 2 years
- MPI funding: $500,000
- Co-investment funding: $400,000
- Sectors: Seafood/aquatic
- Project partners: Nelson Regional Development Agency
- Regions: Nelson, Tasman
This project will pilot an ocean-based oyster nursery system to grow single seed hatchery spat (as opposed to wild spat), enabling higher oyster quality and lower costs. If the project is successful it will help the oyster sector grow, increase export revenue, and create new jobs.
Floc wool panels
- Project start date:
- Completed date:
- MPI funding: $259,835
- Co-investment funding: $432,300
- Sectors: Natural fibres
- Sub-sectors: Animal-based fibres, Strong wool
- Project partners: T&R Interior Systems Limited
- Regions: Nationwide
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 – Government media release