NEW ZEALAND - One of our most recent exclusive features with kiwifruit maven Zespri™ dug into the various benefits of its ZAG fund, highlighting multiple innovation pilots set to advance the company’s sustainability goals. With these strategic pilots underway, the supplier took a moment to discuss the importance of advancing sustainable ag practices.

“There is significant potential for further improvement in sustainable practices, especially in the areas of precision agriculture, waste reduction, and supply chain optimization,” shares Jiunn Shih, Chief Marketing, Innovation, and Sustainability Officer. “The integration of more advanced technologies, such as automated harvesting and enhanced soil management techniques, can dramatically reduce the need for chemicals and improve overall resource efficiency. We also see an opportunity to further reduce carbon footprints through an increased focus on renewable energy sources and packaging innovations. Additionally, there’s potential for collaborating more extensively with the wider agricultural community to share insights and best practices for sustainability.”

While increasing its prowess in the kiwifruit space, Zespri’s purpose is to help people, communities, and the environment around the world thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit. The supplier is constantly innovating alongside its industry partners with the goal of delivering nutritious, low-impact, and great-tasting kiwifruit to consumers while promoting environmental resilience and protecting industry value. 

“Working with a product delivered by nature brings health and well-being benefits to communities and society. As a premium fruit brand, we believe it’s also important to have a strong voice in advocating for how to innovate and propel a transformation of the food system,” Jiunn shares.

One shining element of the brand’s sustainability efforts is its packaging. The percentage of Zespri’s consumer packaging that is now recyclable, reusable, or compostable has reached 80 percent, compared to 70 percent last season and 66 percent at baseline. This reflects the positive steps the supplier has made in transitioning away from non-recyclable plastics to fiber-based alternatives in China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.

As the company continues to seek ways to increase kiwifruit consumption while improving sustainability, Zespri continues to uncover opportunities through innovation, guided in part by pilots implemented through the ZAG Fund.

“Zespri remains committed to fostering a sustainable future for both the kiwifruit industry and the planet. We recognize that sustainability is an ongoing journey that requires collaboration, innovation, and perseverance,” Jiunn concludes. “We are incredibly excited by the advancements we've seen as a result of the ZAG Fund pilots and look forward to continuing to work with industry partners, research institutions, and local communities to achieve even greater milestones in sustainable agricultural practices.”

Stay tuned as we bring more exclusive insights straight to the pages of ANUK.