Leading project in land use and value chain diversification
The Branching Out project focuses on identifying, and validating new, high-value food and fibre opportunities through land diversification in Taranaki.
Working closely with landowners, growers, researchers, and investors we’re establishing a series of commercially viable ventures in Taranaki, each documented as a "Blueprint." These blueprints provide a roadmap for potential investment and innovation in sectors such as medicinal plants, gin botanicals, hops, hemp for construction, avocados, and more.
Branching Out provides a real-world case study for the start-to-finish process of land use and value chain diversification, using Taranaki as a trial region.
With rich volcanic soil, good water availability, and a temperate climate, there exists untapped potential for a range of complementary and sustainable food and fibre ventures.
The project takes a full value-chain approach to ensure informed decision-making, embedding consideration for product development, markets, and consumer trends from the outset, and ensuring diversification opportunities are pursued sustainably.
Branching Out aims to foster environmentally sustainable practices, increase resilience in farming and land use, create new revenue streams, and generate employment opportunities.
If you’re a landowner, farmer, grower, food manufacturer, or investor looking for a new high-potential food and fibre opportunity we encourage you to take a look. We need you, your skills and capabilities, entrepreneurial mindset, and suitable land to take the ventures to the next phase.
We’re paving the way for farmers, investors and other regions - pioneering a strategic, repeatable research process
Phase Two (Underway)
Building on our research from phase one we’re conducting crop trials around the region, targeting commercial viability studies, and investigating value chain development opportunities.
Crop trials are underway in partnership with committed landowners, horticulturalists, and dairy farmers. The trials will be held over two production cycles to assess the performance of different crop varieties and cultivation practices. Through systematic observations and data collection, the Branching Out project team aims to provide farmers with enough data to make informed crop selection decisions for specific areas, as well as optimising agronomic practices to ensure economic viability and sustainability.
Simultaneously, the project is progressing each venture towards launch stage, developing investment models required for implementation. Extensive market research is underway to validate that locally grown products address specific business needs and provide tangible value in the commercial environment.
Phase One (Completed)
Phase One identified 11 innovative, commercially viable food and fibre value chain opportunities, with potential to strengthen and diversify the Taranaki economy.
The project gathered input from a wide range of industry participants; landowners, interested growers, manufacturers, food and fibre entrepreneurs, as well as potential commercial partners and investors to ensure community support and buy-in for each opportunity.
Crown Research Institutes and universities were engaged to provide robust research that underpins each venture selection. Work has also been undertaken with commercial partners to support the development of product prototypes with significant market potential, and a core focus on sustainability and waste reduction.
The project’s investigations, collaborations, and potential commercial pilot opportunities have been presented as investor-ready Venture Blueprints, downloadable below.
We’re paving the way for farmers, investors and other regions - pioneering a strategic, repeatable research process
Building on our research from phase one we’re conducting crop trials around the region, targeting commercial viability studies, and investigating value chain development opportunities.
Crop trials are underway in partnership with committed landowners, horticulturalists, and dairy farmers. The trials will be held over two production cycles to assess the performance of different crop varieties and cultivation practices. Through systematic observations and data collection, the Branching Out project team aims to provide farmers with enough data to make informed crop selection decisions for specific areas, as well as optimising agronomic practices to ensure economic viability and sustainability.
Simultaneously, the project is progressing each venture towards launch stage, developing investment models required for implementation. Extensive market research is underway to validate that locally grown products address specific business needs and provide tangible value in the commercial environment.
Phase One identified 11 innovative, commercially viable food and fibre value chain opportunities, with potential to strengthen and diversify the Taranaki economy.
The project gathered input from a wide range of industry participants; landowners, interested growers, manufacturers, food and fibre entrepreneurs, as well as potential commercial partners and investors to ensure community support and buy-in for each opportunity.
Crown Research Institutes and universities were engaged to provide robust research that underpins each venture selection. Work has also been undertaken with commercial partners to support the development of product prototypes with significant market potential, and a core focus on sustainability and waste reduction.
The project’s investigations, collaborations, and potential commercial pilot opportunities have been presented as investor-ready Venture Blueprints, downloadable below.
Wondering if your land or business could diversify?
We can help you understand the opportunities that may be available for your land and your particular operation/circumstance. Whether it's initial advice, or pointing you in the right direction, we're happy to help.
We currently have 11 active trials around the region
Our trialists are in varying locations around the maunga and are growing a range of crops. This allows us to study climatic and environmental factors that may impact crop yield and quality.
The Branching Out team is working closely with trialists to maintain healthy crops, as well as managing post-harvest evaluations. These evaluations will be analysed in due course to understand commercial feasibility and sustainability.
Download the Blueprints here
Branching Out - By the numbers
Taranaki is renowned for its food production, from dairy and red meat to poultry, coffee and high-end baked goods. The region’s food and fibre sector contributes over $1.5B p.a. to our GDP, accounts for over 10,000 jobs, and has a long history of delivering domestic and international export products.
Our strong entrepreneurial spirit here in Taranaki presents credible opportunities that are attractive to potential investors, and our enterprises and start-up community are actively seeking value-added food product opportunities.
Land suitable for horticulture in Taranaki
207k ha Compared to 168k ha currently used for dairyTotal land ownership interested in diversifying
6.2k ha Submitted so far by locals via land-use registerGrowers expressing interest in trials
146+ Showing local support for pilot trialsVenture blueprint downloads
6k+ Significant interest shown by landownersThe scope and scale of Branching Out is significant - take a look.
Branching Out has fostered an environment for diversification opportunities to be investigated.
Through extensive research and collaboration with our engaged community our selection of ventures prove the possibilities in front of us to diversify the Taranaki economy, building on our strengths and capitalising on our untapped potential.
Take a look.
Taranaki Land and Climate Assessment
Venture Taranaki has released an assessment by Plant & Food Research on the land and climate in Taranaki, which provides an overview of our region’s growing capability, and the opportunity to help meet long-term goals of building diversity, value, sustainability, and market and supply-chain resilience.
A key finding of the released Taranaki Land and Climate Assessment is that there are around 207,000 hectares of land potentially suitable for generic horticulture within the boundaries of the Taranaki Regional Council.
The eight mainstream crops covered in the assessment include apples, kiwifruit, avocados, blueberries, hops, hemp and CBD cannabis, hazelnuts and walnuts, potatoes, and wine grapes.
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The Branching Out backstory
Branching Out, is a project initiated and led by Venture Taranaki, and underpinned by local sponsors and MPI’s SFFF Fund. Throughout the two-year project a number of innovative, commercially viable food and fibre value chain opportunities for Taranaki have been identified. This supports the region’s long-term vision for a resilient, high-value, and low-emissions future as articulated by Tapaue Roa – the guiding strategic document for Taranaki.
The project aim is to strengthen and diversify the Taranaki economy and has worked collaboratively with a wide range of industry participants, from landowners to interested growers, manufacturers to food and fibre entrepreneurs, and potential investors.
Through a process of investigation, a shortlist of feasible ventures has been selected. Crown Research Institutes, as well as universities including Massey, were engaged to provide robust research that underpins each venture selection. Work has also been undertaken with commercial partners to support the development of prototypes with significant market potential, and a core focus on sustainability and waste reduction.
Branching Out is funded by the region’s three district councils - New Plymouth District Council, South Taranaki District Council and Stratford District Council, and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFFF). Significant in-kind support is provided by Venture Taranaki, Massey University, New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes, and enterprises involved in Taranaki’s primary sector, and food and fibre industry.
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