New Zealand’s future role in the global protein market.

Change is constant and the change of pace for the global supply of protein and its make up is going to alter considerable over the next 20 years. Alternative protein sources such as through the rise of plant based and synthetic meat products will take place of the current traditional commodity meat market across the globe. The methods have been developed and the only current restriction is scalability of production and market acceptance. As technology advances, this scalability will improve and eventually become at least cost neutral to traditional sources pf protein production. As and when this occurs is somewhat academic and will be up for debate but nevertheless it will happen and eventually significantly undercut these prominent markets resulting in significant deterioration in the manufacturing beef market such as bull beef and cull cows. Market acceptance of course is also a major challenge currently but through advanced marketing campaigns, increased urbanization and skepticism of the traditional methods of protein production, this too won’t be major issue in years to come.

This report attempts to briefly summarize the existing companies which are in the alternative protein or synthetic protein markets and identify timing when they expect to be selling their products into the global market. Currently, they tend to be targeting premium consumers themselves but as supply issues are lessened with improved scalability, their market objectives will change to suit. There are wide ranging calls for the New Zealand animal protein production industry to improve its marketing campaign to tell the New Zealand story. This is a story of clean, green production – one where animal welfare and environmental considerations are paramount. This story will be important for the discerning premium consumer – one whom understands the role of pastoral agriculture and looks to consume premium products, at will at their social and family gatherings. In addition to this, this report tries to ascertain other premiere market opportunities; these are areas of production of nutraceutical and medicinal food products which are nutritionally wholesome for people on the go, foods which supply 100% of an individual’s protein, mineral or vitamin requirements . As health and science continues to improve, people will continue to live to older ages resulting in a need to supply medicinal food groups – food which makes a person healthier thereby in time largely eliminating ‘ambulance at the bottom of the cliff’ health services until later and later life. Another significant market opportunity is the supply of easy to consume snack food groups, our lives continue to get busier therefore eating three times a day can be considered as a chore and minimized so to spend more time doing activities we want to do. There is a requirement to coerce elements of the New Zealand supply chain to agree to a consensus in terms of this story and market to the globe as a New Zealand brand initiative. This is a necessary step in order to make connections with the premium consumers of the future – primarily millennials and Generation X’s as well as pediatric care and infant specialties. Our future as an industry will be in the production of high end consumable products which attain a premium for the discerning consumer, this is especially as these alternative protein production companies increase supply and progressively take market share of the commodity supply chains.