ANZ Vegetable Growers Face Catch-22 as Global Fuel Costs Collide with Falling Consumer Demand
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.
37 minutes ago1 min read
Mould, Rind and All as New Zealand Vegan Cheese Sector Comes of Age
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.
3 hours ago2 min read
Dialogue Instead of Division as Benemeat Opens the Door to Traditional Meat Industry
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
3 days ago1 min read
From Kitchen Feedback to Shelf Innovation as One Love Planet Reinvents the Plant-Based Dip
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.
4 days ago2 min read
One Independent Grocer Adds Fuel to New Zealand's Supermarket Duopoly Debate
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.
4 days ago1 min read
Japan’s New Food Strategy Signals A Nation Moving Beyond Agriculture
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.
4 days ago1 min read
French Heatwaves Signal a New Food Production Reality
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
5 days ago1 min read
One Lick at a Time as Kiwi Cauliflower Ice Cream Startup Takes on America
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
6 days ago1 min read
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