Kia ora from Callaghan Innovation,

Welcome to a special edition Global Signals, your regular update of new and interesting signals in the world of AgriFoodTech. This issue we’re focusing on the exciting world of agri-food.

This newsletter is designed to inform New Zealand agritech of the latest global sector developments, and spark new ideas. You can join us on LinkedIn to join the discussion.  

Also keep an eye out for a series of workshops in May which will do a deep dive into Signals for the AgriTech sector, and how to use a number of futurist tools to improve your company strategy.

Kia pai te rā,

Melissa (FutureCentre.nz) and Shane (Callaghan Innovation)

Eel-y delicious

Scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang Polytechnic have replicated one of the world’s favourite sushi toppings, eels, using entirely plant-based cells. 

Eels have been overfished in Japan to the point of critical endangerment, and more modern methods of eel production - such as transferring young eels over national borders - have been plagued with a number of issues.

Scientists developing meat in a lab isn’t new - but this is one of the first times such an in-demand and rare product has been developed in a plant-based form. Could we see other rare products start to be developed in a lab just as the real thing starts disappearing? Will we see consumers prefer the plant-based product for the ethics, or will the real deal become ever more premium?

Putting fields to work 

Agrivoltaics combine solar power and agriculture on the same land, potentially increasing revenue for farmers. 

Research conducted by South Korean university Chonnam National University has found that broccoli is well-suited to growing under a solar panel. Others include carrots, kale, and tomatoes.

Genesis is currently building New Zealand’s largest solar farm yet down in Canterbury, set to open later this year. But New Zealand growers don’t have to leave solar panels to the big players; given the sustainable and financial incentives, could we see growers embrace small-scale solar power generation on top of their existing crops?

Possum for dinner

A group in the US is encouraging the wider population to start eating invasive pests, in a one-two punch they say will benefit both local ecosystems and global carbon emissions.

Eat the Invaders (http://eattheinvaders.org/) provides information to people wanting to forage local plants and hunt pest animals. Their website provides FAQs and even recipes for those looking to make the jump from the supermarket to forest, bush or even coastline.

Humans are a major predator, and we know we can make a major impact on animal numbers if we find them tasty enough. The real question is, could we ever convince enough people to try serving a rack of possum? And could farmers get in on eating pests and open up a new revenue stream for themselves?

Feeding the world

John Deere was recently honoured at the Innovation Awards for their newest autonomous tractor, which they say is the next breakthrough in feeding the world.

Equipped with AI, this tractor can drive itself, just requiring the farmer to input where they need it to go that day. Interestingly, John Deere is actually marketing the autonomous tractor on a service basis, where farmers pay a fee for John Deere technicians to be on hand to assist with the tractor as needed.

New Zealand is already a highly mechanised agricultural market. That said, many of our farms are under intense financial pressure between inflation, the high cost of land, and inherited debt - so a tractor-as-a-service model, with staggered methods of payment, could be of real interest here. Could we ever see New Zealand farmers loaning, rather than buying, expensive pieces of farm equipment? 

‘Dead as a dodo’ no more?

American “de-extinction” company Colossal Biosciences has announced they will be trying to “bring back” the dodo - the third creature on their list, which also includes the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger.

They’re investing USD$150 million into the project, which has already started by way of a tiny piece  of the dodo’s DNA. Other questions, like how a dodo will be socialised without parents, remain unanswered.

Central to the mission of Colossal Biosciences is using science to turn back time and undo the damage humans have done to nature. If Colossal Biosciences is successful, how could we use their technology to boost New Zealand’s native wildlife? 

Tell us what you think about this signal on LinkedIn ►

Doggy degustation

COVID lockdowns saw demand for canine companions explode - and now, we’re seeing the parents of furbabies spend big dollars on doggy daycare and elaborate raw food diets.

Dogue is a San Francisco-based company that specialises in artisanal, seasonal, and nutritionally complete food for pups. Closer to home, we also have the slightly less fine dining but still upmarket Ziwi, which sold for a reported $1B in 2021.

There’s no denying that this chunk of the market represents a significant opportunity for New Zealand companies. Could the pet food market become a way that the New Zealand food sector gets superpremiums?

What I am reading

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

With so much talk at the moment about sentient AI, I thought it was time to revisit a favourite series: Murderbot from Martha Wells. 

What if an AI killer security cyborg (aka a murderbot) hacks itself and removes distinguishing characteristics and key lines of code? What if it decides its loyalties are to the people it protects rather than those who control them? This is one of the funniest, most warm-hearted and yet still suspenseful series. It grapples with ethics, sentience and the employee-employer relationship.

These books may well make us think again about the nature of attachment and programming. Each book is novella length, so you will rip through them.  

Volume 9 lands later this year, I have preordered - you should too.

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