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 hours 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.
5 hours 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
1 day 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
2 days ago1 min read
From Bolivia to Florida via Australia as Achacha Finds a New Global Home
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.
4 days ago2 min read
From Gourmet to Psychoactive as Mushroom Grow Bags Go Mainstream
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.
6 days ago2 min read
From Beer Waste to Biomanufacturing as UC Students Chase a Billion-Dollar Material
The NanoBrew project is investigating how beer waste - brewers' spent grain- can be converted into nanocellulose, an ultra-light, high-strength biomaterial increasingly used in medical dressings, sustainable packaging, cosmetics, filtration systems and advanced composites. The project will represent New Zealand at this year's international iGEM synthetic biology competition in Paris.
Jul 161 min read
Cheesecake Is Doing the Media Rounds as ‘Downsizing to Upscale’ Gains Momentum
Growing international attention surrounding ready-portioned cheesecake is less about cheesecake itself and more about a broader shift taking place across the global food industry. Rather than producing ever larger products, manufacturers are increasingly embracing a strategy best described as "downsizing to upscale" - creating smaller, premium products delivering greater value through quality, flavour, sustainability and experience.
Jul 142 min read
Comments