WE WANT
YOU
The search has begun for a
young Kiwi aged between
18 and 25 to represent New
Zealand at the 2019 Youth
Ag Summit in Brazil next
November. Bayer New Zealand
is on the lookout for a new
delegate to join 99 other
enthusiasts from around the
world to talk about how to
feed a hungry planet in a
more sustainable manner.
With applications closing on
January 10, 2019, the summit
functions as an idea incubator
and leadership fostering, and
has been hosted in Canada,
Australia and Belgium. Bayer
New Zealand’s head of crop
science Scott Hanson says
he’s thrilled that another young
New Zealander will have the
opportunity to attend such
an invaluable and important
event without cost. “There’s
never been a more important
time for innovation, especially
in the agricultural space, and
as the leaders of tomorrow,
our young people need to be
at the forefront of the global
discussion.” Last year’s
delegate Beth Hampton says
the summit offered her the
chance to collaborate with an
international cohort. “It really
challenged and developed
my thinking about sustainable
agriculture and issues of
food security.” To learn
more, follow #plantyourpath
and #youthagsummit on
social media, or stay up to
date by subscribing to the
newsletter: www.newsletter.
youthagsummit.com/
8 NOVEMBER 2018
NEWS
SNIPS
Horticulture
New Zealand
is thrilled that
mandatory
Country of
Origin labelling
for fruit and
vegetables has
stepped closer
with the second
reading of the
Consumers’
Right to Know
(Country of
Origin of Food)
Bill passing in
Parliament
A new series
of workshops
on China
e-commerce
and e-payments
are being
offered to food
and beverage
manufacturers,
local exporters,
marketers,
inbound tourism
operators and
service providers
in Central Otago
The Soil
& Health
Association is
calling for an
enquiry into the
independence of
New Zealand’s
Environmental
Protection
Authority,
following its
announcement of
priority chemical
reassessments
for possible bans
or new controls
Dietary factors
have a far
smaller influence
on urate levels
(a precursor
to gout) than
previously
envisaged, new
University of
Otago research
reveals
NEWS
NZ TAKES ON WORLD
A New Zealand start-up making apple, sauvignon
blanc and pinot noir flour has received a NZ$1.2 million
injection from the home of gastronomy… France.
Greenspot Technologies
creates nutrient-rich alternative
flours from fermented
fruit and vegetable pulp
that would otherwise go to
waste. Its range - which is zero-waste -
also includes beetroot, orange, carrot and
parsnip flours, made using a sophisticated
fermentation process developed in the
research labs of the University of Auckland.
Associate Professor Silas Villas-Boas and
doctoral candidate Ninna Granucci - both
from the University’s Biological School of
Science - are now heading to France to
grow their fermentation business. “France
is a world leader in fermentation technology.
But this technology is for the whole
world because the whole world processes
fruits and vegetables,” Villas-Boas says.
The seed funding boost will allow the
company to expand its team, test various
fermentation technologies to inform the
design of a dedicated manufacturing plant,
and develop new food formulations. “We
have good relationships with fruit and
vegetable producers and food manufacturers
here, and New Zealand regulations
mean products coming out are very high
quality,” he says. Long-term plans are to
have manufacturing plants in different parts
of the world, including New Zealand. The
pair’s careers pivoted after involvement
with the university’s ‘Velocity Entrepreneurial
Challenge’ which helps people test, prepare
and grow smart ideas for commercial,
social or environmental benefit. “In 2015,
we entered ‘Velocity $100K Challenge’ with
a business idea based on the results of
Ninna’s research,” Villas-Boas says. “Ninna
was looking into the actions of specific
micro-organisms in the fermentation
process to convert fruit and vegetable pulp
into nutritious protein for human consumption.
We saw how this might be applied
to one of the biggest problems facing the
modern world – food shortage versus food
waste. By 2050 the world is expected to
need 70% more food than we have now.
Of course you can find new foods such
as insects or put money into developing
meat alternatives. Instead, we thought ‘let’s
focus on reducing wastage of good food’.
One-third of all food produced globally is
lost or wasted every year, and 40% of that
is fruits and vegetables.” The scientists
placed second in the competition. “This
fascinating activity, and strong feedback
from the mentors and judging panel, was
the motivation to found the company.
We jumped into the challenge." By early
2017, the pair opened a small pilot plant
in Auckland to prove they could increase
quantities from the lab and produce a
consistent product. “In the business world
it is very black and white. It either works
or it doesn’t.” Greenspot’s experience
testifies to the value of applied research,
Villas-Boas says. “When you bring technology
back to society, you create jobs,
you increase income for the country. In our
case, you also reduce negative impact on
the environment.”
/youthagsummit.com
