Zespri, the world’s largest kiwifruit marketer, is reaffirming its commitment to sustainable innovation with a renewed $2 million investment in its Zespri Innovation Fund (ZAG). The initiative, first launched in November 2023, is designed to strengthen climate resilience in food systems and enhance productivity while advancing carbon-positive practices.
Over the past year, ZAG has attracted more than 100 submissions from innovators across 15 countries, with 11 projects progressing into pilot schemes. The fund focuses on four key areas: improving kiwifruit quality and orchard productivity, promoting consumer wellbeing through kiwifruit consumption, enhancing environmental sustainability, and fostering a thriving kiwifruit industry that benefits growers and local communities.
Several pilots have already explored new ways to enhance sustainability within the sector. These include trials using biochar to improve orchard productivity while reducing carbon emissions, technology that analyses the chemical signatures emitted by fruit to optimise harvesting, and microwave sensing technology as a non-destructive method for quality assessment.
Zespri’s Chief Marketing, Innovation, and Sustainability Officer, Jiunn Shih, hailed the initiative’s success in connecting the company with “innovative problem solvers” tackling key industry challenges. “We’ve had a really positive first year with ZAG, but this is just the beginning,” he said. “For year two, we are heightening our efforts to focus on strengthening climate resilience and solutions that will help us grow a more sustainable future, one kiwifruit at a time.”
To accelerate progress, Zespri will now refresh ZAG’s focus every quarter, with climate resilience taking immediate priority. The company has pledged to work with partners to become carbon-positive by 2035. Future ZAG initiatives will seek to enhance soil health by improving water retention, biodiversity, and carbon storage, ultimately supporting growers and safeguarding orchard productivity.
Zespri, which works with over 4,000 growers worldwide, supplies kiwifruit to more than 50 countries. Its long-term sustainability goals are closely aligned with the ZAG initiative, ensuring ongoing investment in research and development that promotes environmentally responsible farming.
Industry stakeholders and innovators interested in contributing to the initiative can learn more or apply at Zespri’s website.