NEW ZEALAND - Good for kiwifruit, good for people, good for communities, and good for the environment. These are the central goals behind every strategy implemented by Zespri’s ZAG Fund™ as it seeks to improve the long-term sustainability of its operations and the kiwifruit industry as a whole. Since its debut in 2023, the ZAG Fund has established itself as a driver of innovation and sustainability in the kiwifruit industry. Chief Marketing, Innovation, and Sustainability Officer Jiunn Shih recently took some time to divulge the benefits of this impactful program.

“ZAG has united innovators from around the world to harness the power of collaboration and combine their ingenious ideas with ours,” explained Jiunn. “A total of 11 ongoing pilots have been onboarded thus far, all of which are aligned with ZAG’s four core priorities, which aim to create lasting impact across our kiwifruit ecosystem. The impacts of the ZAG Fund have been profound, with numerous promising projects that focus on technology, resource efficiency, and improving environmental outcomes already showing positive results.”

As Jiunn shares, the $2 million fund has enabled the acceleration of cutting-edge agritech solutions that are good for kiwifruit, good for people, good for communities, good for the environment, and foster a thriving kiwifruit industry.

“There have been some amazing pilots that have come out from the first year,” Jiunn says. “Our pilot with M.B. Horticulture explores the use of biochar on kiwifruit orchards to improve soil nutrient availability, sequester carbon, and improve soil drainage and aeration—potentially increasing orchard productivity while reducing emissions released into the atmosphere. Scentian Bio uses real-time chemical sensing to identify kiwifruit maturity signals for better planning around harvesting, so consumers receive the highest quality kiwifruit, harvested at the most optimal time. The Vertigo Technologies pilot uses microwave sensing to assess SunGold Kiwifruit quality without damaging the fruit, therefore reducing fruit waste while helping us deliver high-quality kiwifruit to consumers as well as maximum value to our growers.”

These strategic pilots aim to explore and demonstrate how emerging tech can revolutionize the company’s approach to growing kiwifruit while maintaining high quality standards and reducing environmental impact.

“When it comes to production, we know climate change is already affecting the kiwifruit industry. We have released our Climate Change Adaptation Plan as a response to the physical, market, and regulatory impacts we’re experiencing,” Jiunn notes. 

This plan establishes a framework for a long-term approach to adaptation for the kiwifruit industry, building on work already underway for Zespri.

“This is built around future-proofing our growing and breeding to make sure the way we grow, and the types of kiwifruit we grow, will be productive in future growing climates,” Jiunn adds. “Some of our actions here include continuing to invest in services to support growers to adapt to the changing climate, including installing hail netting, developing shelterbelts to protect orchards from severe wind events, and using irrigation to prevent vines from experiencing water stress or fruit. Systems and technologies can also help growers manage risks of new pests and diseases.”

“Nevertheless, we acknowledge that we cannot address these challenges alone,” Jiunn continues. “The ZAG Fund enables us to accelerate our impact by fostering true global collaboration, encouraging innovation, and facilitating strategic investment.”

ANUK will continue to share more insights into the ZAG Fund, Zespri’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan, and other advantageous sustainability strategies, so stay tuned.