Investment and innovation needed to mitigate New Zealand’s risk

New Zealand’s agribusiness industry is facing challenges and, as a country, the solution we need to work toward is a simple, though demanding one – look further up the value chain. 

We have seen the warning signs coming for agribusiness in New Zealand but we are now at a critical point. Relying on our commoditised dairy and food product industry is creating a huge risk for our nation’s economy, the industry and the businesses and farmers within it.

Stereotypical images of agriculture need to be replaced with an understanding and communication of what we can achieve in New Zealand. We have so much to leverage – our natural advantages, our biosecure borders, our science and innovation and the talented thinking in this sector. If we more widely embrace the opportunity for this country to bring premium products to world markets, New Zealand has the chance to drastically change our food and export story. 

The inaugural New Zealand Agri Investment Week, held March 14-19, brought together a week of thought-provoking events created to foster talent, develop understanding and forge connections across the New Zealand agribusiness value chain. The week built on New Zealand's agricultural success by demonstrating our global competitive advantage, and by focusing on three key pillars – investment through capital raising, investment in innovation, including sustainability, and investment in talent. 

The first two pillars of the Week’s conversations offered a two-pronged counterpoint against this. 

During the week, the Agribusiness Investment Showcase, run by NZTE, enabled selected early-stage companies the chance to engage with national and international investors. Capital raising investment will allow us to scale up successful enterprises and enable start ups, driven by talented Kiwis, to bring unique solutions to the world. 

Meanwhile, innovation across the value chain is the chance to diversify our industry. A number of presentations throughout the week highlighted the latest industry developments and technology. 

Finally, there is investment in talent. The changes and development of our agribusiness sector need to be about  long-term growth, and with the increasing presence of analytical, professional and high-tech career pathways we need to focus on having skilled people in the industry to fill these roles. It is critical that we seek, support and enthuse young people, and demographics not currently well represented, to move toward agribusiness. 

The ASB Perspective 2025 breakfast round table session included 10 female experts working in, or connected to, the agribusinesses industry. Events like this one are the key to giving a platform for discussion of where we are and where we need to be, and for enabling discussion from a segment of the agri sector that can often be less heard.  

While held in Manawatu, the week is about discussing New Zealand’s agribusiness future. The Manawatu region has a strong agricultural history, alongside its focus on technology and food innovation through the likes of FoodHQ and Massey University. As the week continues to grow into the future, continuing the conversation and opportunities for investment and growth, we look forward to seeing its national and international identity grow. The aim is that this week in Manawatu is the place to be each year for anyone and any organisation connected to the agribusiness sector.

New Zealand has powerful brand attributes that we should be matching with the products we take to the world, and the New Zealand Agri Investment Week is the chance to host the conversations that enable investment in our country’s future.

Lance Bickford is the director at New Zealand Agri Investment Week

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