Today a group of 14 leading arable farmers in the Canterbury region agreed to support the expansion of an innovation programme led by Leftfield Innovation Ltd. (LFI). The grower group provides both direct funding and crop area to support the programme.
Since mid-2018 LFI has been developing land-use change initiatives to provide New Zealand farmers with more sustainable farm options that lead to higher economic returns.
LFI’s programme focuses on identifying consumer preferences in their food choices, then aligning that with New Zealand capabilities in both farm and food production. LFI has worked with growers to find valid new crop and supply-chain opportunities, establish partnerships and trial crops, and provenance technology to help in telling the stories of their farms and practices.
In addition to the Canterbury growers, LFI is also working with a number of food companies and leading agribusinesses, and is in early stage discussions with both central and local government agencies.