6 ANNUAL DIRECTORY 2017 FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE? By Craig Armstrong WHAT DOES 2017 HOLD Being asked what to expect for 2017 is very difficult. I know how the All Black selectors must feel. Pressure comes not in the form of choosing a squad (which can be shaped to win in the longer term), but in selecting a match-fit and proven line-up that will do the job on the next showing. And so, in no particular order, here are the trends I’m picking for the year ahead: Process Everything suggests that the pace of technological change will continue to change the food and beverage sector - what is grown, how it gets to us, when and where we buy from, and what ‘food’ we prepare and eat. It doesn’t matter if the influencing technology is agritech, biotech, digital, environmental, food tech, material, nano, medtech or genomic. Rabobank commented recently that “processes are more important than product features.” Artisanal foods and entrepreneurial spirit Artisanal foods will continue to grow, perhaps as alternative employment options for migrants, and as corporates ‘let go’ of senior leaders and seek to realise niche opportunities. Unfortunately, the rate of failure of small businesses will continue because we fail to learn from others’ mistakes. A few will go global from day one, learning from software and information technologies, and with the help of consolidators, New Zealand-based ‘agents’ and the growth and capability of the Internet and reach of social media. Ethnic diversity Ethnic diversity will continue to influence our shopping experience, our choice of protein to accompany our meal, and our selection when eating out. And I believe we can expect growth in Mexican and Spanish fare and ingredients. Grains Grains (such as those in Farrah grain wraps), and other ancient varieties of fruits and vegetables will grow in demand as consumers push back on tasteless high-yielding cultivars, and as growers/ marketers get better at segmenting and positioning their crops. Marketing Consumers will continue to be wooed by clever retailer marketing, and by corporates such as Crafters Union.The Craig Armstrong is Customer Director at NZTE.
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