Te Pū Oranga Whenua, an inter-regional collective led by wāhine and representing diverse Māori agribusinesses, is dedicated to creating self-sustaining, resilient businesses through cooperative work. By teaming up with AgResearch and the Leather and Shoe Research Association (LASRA), TPOW is building capacity across the Māori agribusiness sector while exploring transformative approaches to the domestic short meat supply chain.
The joint work aims to look beyond the traditional view of the meat industry, recognising the value of every part of the animal, including the often-overlooked hide. By harnessing hyperspectral imaging technology, the team successfully trialled on-farm methods to scan animal hides, aiming to non-invasively assess their chemical composition and identifying faults. This critical milestone demonstrates that novel advanced scientific processes, such as extraction of food-grade materials, can in future effectively happen in real-world farming environments, bypassing the need for traditional lab settings.
"Our recent on-farm demonstration in Raglan was a major achievement, showing that the advanced science we typically see in laboratories can be successfully adapted and applied on the farm," said Marlon Reis, Senior Scientist at AgResearch. "We envision a future where this kind of on-farm processing can be fully integrated, allowing for efficient and sustainable production of hide-derived products that directly benefits Māori agribusinesses."
Sujay Prabakar (right) presenting to the TPOW members at the farm-shed in Raglan.
This innovative trial marks just the beginning. Moving forward, AgResearch, TPOW, and LASRA are collaborating on a proposal to develop a world-class technology framework designed to revolutionise industries based on hide-derived products. This project has the potential not only to contribute to New Zealand’s economy but also to promote increased food security, reduced carbon footprints, and enhanced consumer trust through local production.
Additional benefits of this localised, short supply chain approach include:
Improved Food Security: By reducing transportation distances, food remains fresh, and its quality is maintained, ensuring consumers have access to high-quality produce.
Environmental Sustainability: Local production and distribution minimize carbon emissions, creating a more sustainable food system.
Economic Development: Short supply chains support local economies, generating employment and income for small-scale farmers and producers.
Increased Food Safety: Fewer handling points reduce contamination risks, delivering safer food products to consumers.
Enhanced Traceability: Consumers can trace their food back to its source, fostering trust and transparency in the food supply chain.
As the AgResearch and TPOW teams continue their work, they acknowledge challenges such as limited infrastructure and scaling costs associated with short supply chains. However, they believe the potential to create a diversified range of products directly from farms offers unique opportunities for New Zealand’s agribusiness landscape.
The success of this project owes much to the dedicated collaboration between key contributors, including Marlon Reis, Yash Dixit, and Sue Zydenbos from AgResearch; Lisa Warbrick and Tracey Bayliss from TPOW; and Sujay Prabakar from LASRA. Their collective efforts underscore the power of partnerships in driving innovation, resilience, and economic opportunity within New Zealand’s agribusiness sector.
