Cultivated Futures as New Zealand's Cellular Agriculture Sector Steps Into the Spotlight

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For a sector still in its infancy, New Zealand’s cellular agriculture scene is about to have a very grown-up moment.

On April 9, Nelson, New Zealand becomes ground zero for a quietly transformative movement: the New Zealand Cellular Agriculture Symposium 2025. Expect around 60 of the country’s and overseas leading thinkers, researchers, and innovators to gather for a one-day dive into the world of cellular agriculture which means cultivated meat, seafood, dairy and yes, even fruit.

And while the crowd may be small, the ideas? Anything but.

Cellular agriculture isn’t just science fiction anymore. It’s science fact, growing food from cells instead of animals or plants, using bioreactors instead of paddocks or orchards. Globally, it’s seen as a key tool for sustainable, ethical food production, and New Zealand, known more for its sheep and kiwifruit than its cell lines, is now getting serious about joining the conversation.

Event Coordinator , Plant and Food Research, Scientist, Georgina Dowd puts it plainly: “We’re hoping to bring together the majority of players in this field from across Aotearoa. It’s a rare chance to build momentum in what’s still a small but promising sector.”

Source: © Alexander Raths | Dreamstime.com - Scientists at work.

The standout guest is Professor David Kaplan from Tufts University, a global leader in cellular agriculture research and Director of the USDA-funded National Institute for Cellular Agriculture. He’s one of the most-cited scientists in the world, and he’s coming to Nelson. That alone makes this a landmark event.

There’ll also be speakers from The Good Food Institute, Cornell University, Cellular Agriculture Australia, and Food Standards Australia New Zealand. And it’s not just international brainpower. Local legends like OpoBio, Daisy Labs, and Kernohan Engineering will share the stage with researchers from Plant & Food Research, Scion, and AgResearch, highlighting what’s already bubbling away right here in New Zealand.

Panel discussions will tackle the big questions: How do we balance innovation with cultural values? What are the social implications of growing meat or seafood in a lab? And how do we ensure New Zealand's unique context - the land, people, and values - shape the way this sector evolves?

There’s a buzz of pragmatic optimism around this event. Not hype. Not headlines. But serious, grounded conversations about where this technology fits, both scientifically and socially. in the future of food.

The consumer isn’t front and centre just yet. And that’s okay. This event isn’t about marketing. It’s about building the foundations. About aligning science, regulation, innovation, and policy so when the time is right, New Zealand isn’t scrambling to catch up.

Still, let’s not forget - if cultivated food is going to work here, it will need to connect with real people, not just researchers and funders. This symposium is the first real step in that direction.

NZ CellAg 2025 is a critical marker in New Zealand’s future food journey - part science summit, part sector reset. It’s about defining who we are in this space before the world does it for us.

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