From the author

NZ’s supermarket sector needs competition from within
However, New Zealanders hoping for a foreign hero to break up the current supermarket concentration will be waiting a lo...
Mar 18, 2025

How China’s appetite for salmon could reshape global seafood markets
E-commerce has reshaped consumer fish-purchasing behaviour in China – and research shows that will have global implicati...
Jan 8, 2025

From garlic to parsley: the herbs and spices Australians love most
Studies has shown eating herbs and spices daily can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Jan 6, 2025

The Foodstuffs merger is dead for now, but that won’t fix NZ’s grocery sector
Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island argued the levels of competition in the supermarket sector would not...
Oct 3, 2024

Health star labels closer to being mandatory – but there’s a catch
Now, after the food industry made slow progress in meeting the target to roll out health stars to more products voluntar...
Jul 30, 2024

Rising fruit prices make healthy eating more expensive in New Zealand
Despite the recent price drops, concerns over food security, food affordability and the nutritional quality of local die...
Jul 17, 2024

Opinion: It’s time to split Foodstuffs – not make it stronger
New Zealand currently has just three major supermarket entities: the two Foodstuffs cooperatives (member-owned companies...
Jul 12, 2024

Plastic Free July is a waste of time if the onus is only on consumers
The onus for reducing plastic consumption and waste should be placed firmly on those who make plastic and profit from se...
Jul 2, 2024

Why the UK has a growing food black market
The British Standards Institution recently stated that 22 per cent of all thefts from lorries and warehouses last year w...
May 31, 2024

What’s behind Fonterra’s decision to sell its consumer brands?
Fonterra now hopes to use the sale of its consumer brands to invest in the business-to-business side of the company.
May 22, 2024

How big food companies can do more to create healthier food environments
Healthy eating is challenging and when delicious, unhealthy foods are promoted, it contributes to suboptimal eating patt...
May 14, 2024

Food for thought: Price gouging is not illegal
The government’s recent Independent Review of the Food and Grocery Code also recommended making it mandatory for the sup...
May 10, 2024

How can a repeat of Foodstuffs’ facial recognition failure be prevented?
When Foodstuffs North Island announced its intention to trial this technology in February, as part of a strategy to comb...
Apr 24, 2024

Why re-establishing Australia’s wine sales in China won’t be easy
The departure of Australian wine from the Chinese market created a gap that was quickly filled by other suppliers.
Apr 11, 2024

How healthy are plant-based foods? The Conversation tests 700
Our nutritional audit of more than 700 plant-based foods for sale in Australian supermarkets has just been published.
Feb 23, 2024

The future of main streets: Aussies share their essential retailers
A lot of dedication and effort goes into making main streets attractive. Local governments, planners, place makers, econ...
Nov 3, 2023

Here’s how to make supermarket supply chains more resilient
Our new research found that shortening supply chains will be vital to make regions more resilient to these shocks – as w...
Jun 23, 2023

What was behind Australia’s potato shortage?
Food industries which rely on potatoes are compensating for these expected losses by contracting a greater number of gro...
Jun 13, 2023

Should Australia add stronger health warning labels to alcohol?
Research shows mandatory health labelling is an important way to increase awareness and should form part of a comprehens...
Jun 12, 2023

How Australia is in unique place to eliminate the bee-killing varroa mite
Australia is different from other Varroa infected regions of the world. Our incursion was smaller, it was identified ear...
Jun 7, 2023