All PFN ARTICLES

Demand for matcha, that vibrant, powdered punch of green tea so loved by wellness influencers, oat milk baristas, and TikTok’s Gen Z elite, is skyrocketing so fast that the world's traditional tea farms are quite literally running dry. The Japanese farms producing tencha, the shaded green tea leaves ground into matcha, simply can’t keep up. And it’s not just a social media surge. It’s a full-blown supply chain crisis.

New Zealand’s vegan cheese scene just delivered a full-bodied, pepper-crusted slap to the dairy world with Bûche au Poivre from High Culture Cheese crowned Supreme Winner at the 2025 Vegan Society Vegan Cheese Awards.

And fizzing with intent is Kombucha Bros, the local fermentation outfit quietly embedded in the University of Auckland’s flagship project on bio-fermented functional foods. While headlines fixate on hybrid meats and algae proteins, the real story might lie in the cellulose-rich scaffolds, mushroom mycelium, and botanical extractions now being turned into snacks, sips, and supplements, with Kombucha Bros tapped as a key industry collaborator bringing frontline fermentation in

Here’s a bold thought for a Government seemingly allergic to ambition - if Queensland can back a food and manufacturing hub on the Sunshine Coast, why can’t New Zealand do the same at Ruakura - Waikato's inland port facility?

The neon glows at the new Tesla diner, the roller-skates glide, and the Cybertruck boxes stack neatly beside burgers and fries. But when the dust settles around Tesla’s much-hyped “retro-futuristic” Diner & Drive-In in Los Angeles, there’s one awkward question buzzing louder than the Superchargers outside: where exactly is the sustainability?

A new oat oil extraction breakthrough from South Australia could supercharge the plant-based sector, unlocking new possibilities for everything from buttery spreads to clean-label beauty products and it all starts with a humble grain we thought we already knew and plant-based lipids.

The World Bank, WWF, and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation just dropped a sprawling new report outlining how sustainable aquaculture could feed the planet, fix the climate, and create 22 million new jobs by 2050. It’s a big fish story with one clear headline:

Sri Lanka has just signed an MoU with Australia to boost its specialty coffee sector. But the real story isn’t bureaucratic. It’s botanical. It’s about unlocking the island’s microclimates, volcanic soils, and heirloom arabica varietals that have long played second fiddle to Ceylon tea.

But let’s be clear. Federer didn’t write a personal cheque for $330M. He was part of a previous capital round in 2021 that brought in $235 million, with NotCo’s latest valuation milestone reflecting cumulative investments across multiple raises. What matters here isn’t the size of his wallet, it’s where he’s pointing it.

Biomanufacturing, cheese and meat, isn’t just food innovation, it’s fast becoming a national security priority, and Australia and New Zealand risk falling behind as the world ferments the future without them.

Once just a squishy afterthought on a pizza or a supporting act in a stir-fry, mushrooms have gone from background noise to full-blown digital celebrity. And not just any mushrooms, we’re talking about the exotic, the shaggy, the shelf-stable, the biohacked.

The shelves may still be stocked, but behind the scenes, one of the world’s most recognisable food brands is collapsing under the weight of its own cans. Del Monte Foods Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US, announcing a fire-sale of assets and a management pledge to “reset” the company under new ownership.