University of Oxford professor of population biology Sir Charles Godfray presents an address on Food Security and Sustainability at the 2026 Riddet Agrifood Summit. Photo: Rebecca McMillan
Agrifood Summit sees science as the answer to feeding 10 billion by 2050
31 March 2026 - New Zealand is well poised to navigate the challenge of feeding a growing and ageing world population, according to international food system and sustainability experts.
Professor Sir Charles Godfray, from the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford, and the Global Dairy Platform’s Executive Director Donald Moore were among the line-up of speakers presenting the challenges for the global food system at the 2026 Riddet Institute Agrifood Summit in Wellington last month.
Both men spoke of the importance of the research being carried out by the Riddet Institute, particularly in putting nutrition to the fore in sustainability debates.
The Riddet Institute is a Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) focusing on fundamental and advanced food research, hosted by Massey University in Palmerston North. The Institute hosted the summit.
Several speakers flagged a future population approaching 10 billion in 2050, and a globe hungry for more and better food. Among the challenges facing humanity were the two sides of lack: malnutrition from food scarcity, and nutrient deficiencies - often accompanied by obesity or type 2 diabetes - from eating too much of the wrong foods.
Other problems facing the food system were climate change and the need for science investment to provide solutions that would future-proof food supply.
The nine speakers presented on a range of topics, along the broad themes of food security and sustainability, the future of food, disruptive biotechnologies and the importance of scientific discovery.
Sir Charles said it was dangerous to think only about the environment or only about food. It had to be both.
“The food system inevitably is going to have to change if we are going to arrest run-away global warming.”
The professor of population biology explored the broad drivers of change in the food system in his presentation. Sustainability, health and economic and socio-cultural drivers were all intertwined.
Global demographics were changing as birth rates slowed and people lived much longer. By 2050 it was expected the world population aged over 80 would triple, driving consumer demand for different foods.
Global Dairy Platform executive director Donald Moore speaks on the importance of meat and dairy in feeding 10 billion. Photo: Rebecca McMillan
The Global Dairy Platform’s Mr Moore said New Zealand was well positioned to contribute to food solutions as it was uniquely export-driven and had achieved significant pasture-based production efficiency. New Zealand was also a leader in genetic research and in finding scientific answers to the problem of ruminant animal-derived methane emissions.
But health span, not just life span, needed to be a key consideration of food intake, he said. Meat and dairy were essential components as they provided highly bioavailable nutrients.
“In low- and middle-income countries the challenge is about nutrient sufficiency not sustainability; in high-income countries the challenge is healthy aging. The common denominator is that nutrient density matters.
“Adequacy is not just nutrient presence but nutrient utilisation. Small amounts of animal-sourced food can make a huge difference in population health; it plays a meaningful and measurable role.”
He said the Riddet Institute’s iOTA Model® was a world-leading example of how computational models could be used to show the trade-offs in the global food system. Food production did have a cost to the environment, but nutrition needed to come from somewhere.
Manawatu farmer and Act Party Associate Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Andrew Hoggard also spoke at the event. The Hon Mr Hoggard said one in every seven people worked in the food or fibre industry in New Zealand and agrifood exports were expected to reach a record-breaking $62 billion next year. The Government wanted to double that figure by 2034.
“It’s a challenging time, but people need to eat and New Zealand’s quality foods are sought after globally.
“To enable growth, the agrifood sector of the future will be different to the one we now know. We will need people who can pioneer and drive these new ways of processing and producing food.”
Eating quickly could make you fat, and other secrets of sensory science
Professor Joanne Hort says new disruptive food technolgies are on the way, but will consumers eat them? Photo: Wendy Shailer-Knight
Food scientists are using sensory science to reveal the link between perception, our senses and what we eat.
Sensory science and eating behaviour expert Wageningen University Professor Ciarán Forde and Massey Food Experience and Sensory Testing (Feast) lab Director Professor Joanne Hort were among the line-up of speakers presenting the challenges for the global food system at the 2026 Riddet Institute Agrifood Summit in Wellington last month.
Professor Forde spoke about much-maligned ultra processed foods and said they were not necessarily the nasties they had been made out to be.
Instead, the problem may lie with the texture of many ultra processed foods. Many were made to be soft and easier to eat. This, coupled with high fat and sugar content, caused some weighty problems.
“We often think of ultra processed foods driving obesity, diabetes and metabolic diseases. But studies show people eat more on an ultra processed diet than a minimally processed diet,” he said.
“Ultra processed foods were higher density, and softer and easier to chew, therefore you can eat them faster and consume more calories more quickly.”
He said studies had shown that changing food texture so meals could not be eaten so quickly resulted in lower body fat composition among participants. Reducing the energy density from the high fat and sugar content was also key.
“Traditional nutritional quality of food should remain the cornerstone of dietary guidance.”
Professor Hort is the Fonterra-Riddet Chair in Consumer and Sensory Science and said consumer testing was critical in the agrifood space, especially before launching new food products.
She said new disruptive technologies like synthetic biology, block chain traceability, 3D printing and climate-smart agriculture were coming and the food industry needed to understand the consumer response to them.
“Twenty-five per cent of the population will not try new foods or new technologies,” she said, and liking a new food or product did not predict whether a consumer would go on to buy and eat the product. Emotional response was also crucial.
“Unless a consumer can see the personal benefits of consuming a product, they will stick to what they know.”
She said neophobia (fear of anything new) and technophobia were more common than most realised, but consumer and sensory scientists could measure these traits.
The field used brain imaging, heart rate monitoring, skin conductance, as well as methodology from psychology in consumer testing. The scientists were also employing artificial intelligence to automate, categorise and predict responses.
“At the Riddet Institute we are able to understand the consumer, which is a powerful place to be. We are able to turn human perception into measurable data.”
Prof Hort said this data could transform technological potential into commercially viable products and ingredients.
Biotechnology and designer food on the way
Professor Munish Puri says significant advances in precision fermentation and biotechnology herald a biological transition for food systems. Photo: Wendy Shailer-Knight.
New Zealand scientists are working on advances that will revolutionise the food system, according to presenters at the recent Riddet Institute Agrifood Summit in Wellington.
Nine speakers presented the challenges for the global food system at the Agrifood Summit, held on 24 February 2026. They spoke on a range of topics, along the broad themes of food security and sustainability, the future of food, disruptive biotechnologies and the importance of scientific discovery.
The world population was expected to approach 10 billion by 2050. Less children were being born but people were living longer and would demand better quality food.
One of the solutions was the development of alternative proteins, alongside traditional agriculture.
Professor Munish Puri is an industrial biotechnologist and occupies a joint Chair of Alternative Proteins role shared between the Riddet and Bioeconomy Science Institutes. In his presentation Professor Puri revealed significant advances in precision fermentation and artificial intelligence as food systems entered a biological transition.
“Biology is becoming programmable. Molecular manufacturing and precision fermentation, combined with artificial intelligence, moves food production from harvesting to design.”
Prof Puri said global demand for protein was rising and people were demanding better food, but livestock systems could not meet all the need. Precision fermentation, microbial manufacturing and biomanufacturing technologies were progressing rapidly.
“Using cells as factories for ingredient manufacturing produced 62 times lower greenhouse gases and used 2000 times less land than animal-based proteins.”
He said the market for alternative meat, eggs, dairy and seafood products was projected to reach $290 billion by 2035, and included fats, oils, nutrients, vitamins, flavourings, binding agents and starches. These could all be profitable side streams for export alongside conventional agriculture in New Zealand.
The Chief Insight Officer from the Ministry for Primary Industries Jarred Mair agreed there were big changes ahead for the global food system.
“10 billion is probably as high as the global population will get. We are ageing and not replacing the population. The rapidly ageing population will change how we eat and what we eat.”
He said two large converging forces were coming together: the elderly who like nutrition and want to live longer; and young people who are wanting to be healthy. Both will demand better quality food.
“There is a global race to make alternative proteins to solve climate problems, and science is delivering the tools rapidly.”
But New Zealand needed to stay ahead of the game, he said. Technology like new desalinisation machines making potable water from the sea could mean New Zealand could lose one of its competitive advantages: easy access to water for agriculture.
“The strongest organisations don’t ask, what will the future bring? They ask, what future are we building?” he said.
Prof Puri said the summit was a call to action. Producing enough food for a growing population couldn’t be solved by science alone.
“We need industry to partner, government infrastructure, regulatory pathways, investors, and talent.”
The summit was held by the Riddet Institute, a Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) focusing on fundamental and advanced food research, hosted by Massey University in Palmerston North.
Chief Insight Officer from the Ministry for Primary Industries Jarred Mair says New Zealand needs to stay ahead to compete. Photo: Wendy Shailer-Knight
