All PFN ARTICLES

France has reinforced its commitment to the future of food production, allocating a further €20 million (approximately US$22 million) to the second phase of its Ferments du Futur programme under the country's France 2030 strategy. The investment extends one of Europe's largest public-private fermentation initiatives and signals that advanced fermentation is increasingly being viewed as strategic national infrastructure rather than simply another emerging food technology.

The race to reinvent one of the world's oldest foods is accelerating, with US food innovator Crafty Counter launching its new WunderEggs™ Protein Scramble into Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. The ready-to-eat breakfast cup delivers an eye-catching 36g of plant-based protein and 14g of fibre using a proprietary blend of hemp hearts and fava beans, signalling how quickly the alternative egg category is evolving beyond simple substitutes into high-performance nutrition.

Australian vegetable growers are warning one of the best winter growing seasons in years is delivering some of the poorest financial returns. Across Queensland, growers say diesel, freight, fertiliser and packaging costs remain well above historical levels while consumers, squeezed by rising living costs, are buying fewer fresh vegetables. The result is a painful mismatch between excellent crops and shrinking farmgate returns.

A mould-ripened vegan Camembert has claimed the highest honour at the 2026 New Zealand Vegan Cheese Awards, reinforcing a broader story emerging across the country's food innovation sector: New Zealand's plant-based cheese industry is no longer experimenting—it is maturing.

Czech cultivated meat developer Benemeat is signalling a different strategy. Rather than treating the traditional meat sector as the competition, the company has publicly invited representatives from across the conventional meat industry into direct dialogue, arguing that prejudice and misinformation will not solve the protein challenges facing future food systems. While details of the meeting focus on knowledge sharing and transparency, the broader message is significant: th

In a market the size of New Zealand, every new product launch is effectively a conversation with consumers. For artisan food producer Janin de Conti, founder of One Love Planet, that conversation led directly to a complete rethink of one of the company's products.

For years New Zealand consumers have been told the answer to high supermarket prices lay in attracting another international chain. But six months after opening in Christchurch, independent retailer Kai Co may be demonstrating another pathway through the duopoly debate.

Japan’s decision to invest ¥1 trillion (US$6.2 billion) in “new food” is about far more than alternative proteins. It reflects a broader strategy to prepare the country for a future shaped by an ageing population, labour shortages and increasing pressure on food security.

France's vegetable growers are warning that 2026 is becoming an annus horribilis after three major heatwaves in as many weeks pushed temperatures beyond 40°C across much of the country. Open-field crops including lettuce, carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, shallots and microgreens have suffered losses measured in thousands of tonnes, while some sectors now fear losing up to half of their annual production. Tomato crops have also stalled, with growers reporting that fruit develop

Most New Zealand food companies heading offshore begin with distributors, trade missions and sizeable marketing budgets. EatKinda has chosen a very different path. Co-founder Mrinali (Milli) Kumar has been doing what many founders only talk about, packing samples, attending startup events, fronting tasting tables, and personally introducing Americans to an idea initially sounding quiet absurd - cauliflower ice cream. Yet, as the smiles from Target's recent Brand Discovery Da

The achacha, known locally as achachairú or "honey kiss", has been cultivated for generations in Bolivia. Yet it was Australian growers who established the world's first large-scale commercial plantation in North Queensland in 2003, investing years of research into propagation, irrigation, pruning and post-harvest handling before the first commercial harvests appeared in 2009.

Generally, home mushroom growing means oyster mushrooms, lion's mane or shiitake. Now, in parts of the United States where psychoactive mushroom laws have relaxed, the same cultivation technology is increasingly being used to grow psilocybin mushrooms.