At Plant & Food Research, we believe science can create a better future. By finding smarter, greener options today, we’re helping secure the world we want to live in tomorrow.

With our partners, we use world-leading science to improve the way they grow, fish, harvest and share food. Every day, we have 1000 people working across Aotearoa New Zealand and the world to help deliver healthy foods from the world’s most sustainable systems.

New fruits, better grains, smarter use of chemicals, stronger biosecurity, higher yields, exciting foods, great nutrition, reduced waste.

We answer complex biological questions; we design innovative products and technologies and we look over the horizon for new ways to grow a smart green future. We want to make sure our food offers the best nutrition and is produced with minimal impact on the natural world. We’re not only looking at how we produce food today, but how we can improve food and food production systems for ourselves and future generations.

We want to protect the marine environment and make the most of its bounty. More than two-thirds of our planet is ocean and a major source of food. Our research looks at new ways to grow and harvest food from the sea and ensure we make the most of the catch. Sustainability drives our seafood production research. While we strive to help producers grow and harvest the best seafood in the world, we’re committed to doing it ethically and protecting marine habitats so that we can continue to enjoy the goodness for generations to come.

Our science has transformed the way commercial finfish can be harvested. Our cutting-edge technology that delivers live fish to the boat results in fresher, more sustainable fish for consumers and higher value products for producers. We also breed fish that can thrive in aquaculture systems, and work to understand and protect native species.

To meet tomorrow’s challenge, we’re leading research into farming fish in the open ocean, moving aquaculture away from valuable coastal waters and helping the sector adapt to the changing global climate.

We want to make sure nothing goes to waste from the catch and work with commercial partners to add value to seafood by-products by creating new products that improve people’s lives around the world.

Our research capabilities include:

• Species selection and assessment for aquaculture
• Selective breeding of new species for aquaculture
• Aquatic genomics for captive and wild populations
• Maximum-value utilisation
• Food safety and preservation
• Aquafeed ingredient formulation
• Performance measurement using digital tools (e.g. images)
• Biofouling community assessment and mitigation
• Novel offshore production structures and prototype assessment
• Consumer research