Global beef trade set for growth driven by Asia – Rabobank report
Global beef trade is expected to grow steadily over the next five years, driven by increasing demand from Asia and strategic export expansions by South American countries.
NZ households are spending significantly more on food amid continually changing purchasing and consumption behaviours.
Latest research by agri banking specialist Rabobank and food rescue charity KiwiHarvest says NZ households are spending significantly more on food amid continually changing purchasing and consumption behaviours.
The first Food Waste Survey was conducted in April 2021, with the recent survey – carried out by independent research agency KANTAR – involving interviews with 1500 New Zealanders in July and August this year.
The study found the average New Zealand household is now spending $238 per week on food, 9% more than they were in 2022.
Despite rising prices, most New Zealanders’ grocery shopping behaviours were largely in line with a year ago, with 72% favouring doing a main grocery shop and then ‘top-up’ shopping as necessary, with 19% only doing a main shop and no top up shopping.
The remaining 10% say they only grocery shop as they need things.
However, the survey did uncover a few minor changes in shopping behaviours likely motivated by a desire to keep the weekly food bill down.
There was also a sizeable fall in the numbers of New Zealanders identifying as vegan (3% from 5%) and the number of Kiwis planning on reducing meat consumption.
“Across recent surveys, we’ve seen around 30% of respondents saying they are planning to reduce meat consumption, citing a range of reasons for doing so – including perceived health benefits, cost of meat and a desire to reduce the impact on the environment,” says Rabobank head of sustainable business development Blake Holgate.
“However, the survey data does suggest attitudes towards meat may be changing.
“Only 25% of New Zealanders are now saying they are planning to reduce meat consumption, while at the other end of the spectrum, 9% of Kiwis now say they plan to eat more meat (up from 7%).”
Having first started tracking food service app usage in 2019, the survey also found food app usage appears to have stabilised following several years of strong growth.
HelloFresh, in particular, recorded exceptionally strong growth since its entrance to the New Zealand market in 2018 (32% of New Zealanders had used the service in the last 12 months compared to 6% in the 2019 survey).
However, the 2023 survey found usage of the major food service apps had plateaued with usage stable across the three largest providers, while among emerging food service apps usage was also relatively unchanged.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) has announced Sandra Kirby will take over as the organisation's new chief executive.
Puro, the country's largest cannabis cultivator, has won the Supreme Award at the Marlborough Business Excellence Awards.
Rawhiti Environmental Park Limited has been convicted on eight charges and fined a total of $437,000 for persistent discharges of raw piggery effluent into the environment between February and October 2023.
The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) is expanding its collaboration with TextileGenesis to deliver full traceability for 100% of ZQ certified wool and ZQRX regenerative wool.
According to Federated Farmers, Environment Southland has mishandled the consent process for Waituna Lagoon, leaving the community with numerous bad outcomes.
Metallica's charitable foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), teamed up with Meet the Need this week for a food packing event held at the New Zealand Food Network warehouse in Auckland.

OPINION: Winston Peters has described the decision to sell its brand to Lactalis and disperse the profit to its farmer…
OPINION: The Hound reckons a big problem with focusing too much on the wrong goal - reducing livestock emissions at…