Selwyn Times: August 21, 2019

18 Wednesday August 21 2019
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
SELWYN RURAL LIFE
SELWYN TIMES
Facing the
future of food
Embracing innovative food systems is the future for our agri-based economy.
The world of food is changing rapidly. The
planet is under pressure, with consumers
demanding more ethically-produced,
affordable foods than ever before.
Lincoln University researchers are
responding to this by bringing together
expertise from science, commerce and
economics to create a more consumerfocused
approach to agricultural
production.
A Lincoln University Centre of
Excellence, Food for Future Consumers,
has been established to focus on the links
between provenance (including place
of origin, authenticity, land, and agroecosystems)
and food qualities (such
as production values, composition and
preferences).
Head of the Centre Dr Roland Harrison
says New Zealand must embrace a
paradigm shift from a production-driven
to a market-driven agri-food sector.
“Adapting to a future where market
signals are acknowledged and interpreted
requires initiatives that facilitate a wholeof-chain
industry response.
“The benefit to producers will be the
potential to capture a greater proportion of
the value embedded in their products. The
benefit for consumers will be foods that
meet individual standards and expectations,
whether these be about nutrition and
health, authenticity or sustainability.”
Dr Harrison says a considerable challenge
lies in consumers’ increasing demand for
ethically-produced yet affordable foods,
while production systems are under
pressure to improve their environmental
performance.
“The Centre of Excellence takes an
interdisciplinary approach, combining
Lincoln’s expertise in fundamental and
applied sciences with its ability to offer
in-depth consumer and business insights.
The idea is to meet consumer requests for
authentic, sustainably-produced, highquality
products from both traditional and
non-traditional production systems.
“Embracing innovative food systems is
the future for our agri-based economy. We
intend to use the specialised knowledge
within the Centre of Excellence to
generate new knowledge and convert that
into applied solutions for the agri-food
industry,” says Dr Harrison.
“Consumers want to know more about
where their food has come from and how
it is made. They want to know the story
behind the food they choose.
“However, different consumers will make
different choices, selecting from a variety
of different offerings that appeal to their
taste and price points. It is in the agri-food
industry’s interests to service that need in
an ethical and sustainable way.
“Our research will also address these
aspects including the development of
new business models that can preserve
and capture the value associated with
Roland Harrison, head of the
Lincoln University Food for
Future Consumers Centre
provenance through the value chain.”
Lincoln University researchers will
partner with other organisations working
in the agri-food domain to focus on a range
of research themes.
These include characterising how
production practices affect food
composition, researching cognitive and
sensory aspects of food consumption,
and expanding consumer choices through
business and product innovation.
Researchers will also explore new
technologies that can protect provenance
and provide traceability.
The Food for Future Consumers
initiative is part of a suite of Centres of
Excellence that Lincoln University will
develop over the next three years to address
grand challenges in agriculture, food,
conservation, the environment, recreation
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