Plant & Food Research

Plant & Food Research is a New Zealand government-owned Crown Research Institute with a nationwide footprint and an applied, industry-facing mission. Co-located labs and field sites sit alongside pilot-scale processing and postharvest facilities, research orchards and glasshouses, and sensory labs, enabling end-to-end development from genetics to finished products. Its regional presence embeds teams with growers and processors for rapid trials, validation, and scale-up in real production settings. Research is supported by New Zealand government investment—principally the Strategic Science Investment Fund via the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment—plus competitive programs and industry contracts. A dedicated commercialization team manages IP, licensing, and cultivar release to bring innovations to market.