Plant-based food producers ‘stigmatise and demonise’ traditional agriculture, according to Jones, but those working in the new industry say it should be seen as an opportunity, not a threat. NZ First minister Shane Jones’ suggestion that plant-based food must be “stopped in its tracks” has been labelled concerning, negligent and anti-competitive by proponents of the … Read more
Industrial robots can make our cars and planes, but for some reason the sight of a mechanical omelette machine filled Duncan Greive with existential dread. I wandered into the restaurant trying not to look too keen. It was an entirely futile exercise – the M Social’s kitchen had been open for breakfast for exactly two … Read more
From travelling the world pondering her existence to convincing a Swedish furniture giant to back a venture looking at the future of living, Carla Cammilla Hjort has lived several lives. Hjort, who is speaking at the Future of the Future conference next month, told Charles Anderson her story. Carla Cammilla Hjort grew up as a … Read more
Cultured meat could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. So why is it such a hard sell? Matti Wilks is a postdoctoral research associate in psychology at Yale University. The world is in the grips of a food-tech revolution. One of the most compelling new developments is cultured meat, also known as clean, cell-based … Read more
EAT-Lancet’s edict that we should eat only half a bacon rasher a day and one egg a week has upset pretty much everyone. Where does it leave New Zealand’s farming-based economy? The release of the EAT-Lancet Commission’s report last week kicked off a global debate on food, health, and what we should be eating to save … Read more
Late last month, John Hart attended the ProteinTech 2018 conference and got thinking about New Zealand’s agricultural future. I was at the ProteinTech 2018 conference held in Auckland in late July – the first of its kind, and judging by the response, definitely not the last. Among the 200 plus attendees were representatives from traditional … Read more
In a time of shifting consumer tastes, mounting health trends, environmental issues and the rise of alternative proteins, meat-eating farm boy Daniel Eb looks to a vegan future. For many Kiwi food producers, the future of meat is hard to stomach. Two recent events underscore the anxiety of a nation grappling with disruptive technology – … Read more