Zespri ZAG Innovation Fund Kicks Off Second Year with Mission to Propel a Sustainable Future

Zespri calls for innovators to find solutions that drive meaningful decarbonization and enhance orchard productivity

SINGAPORE, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zespri, the world's largest kiwifruit marketer with over $US2.5 billion in revenue and one-third of the industry's global volume, is reaffirming its US$2 million investment to ZAG, the Zespri Innovation Fund, a commitment to accelerating sustainable innovation as it meets the growing demand for kiwifruit.

Following ZAG's launch in November 2023, Zespri is now looking to rally innovators and pioneers to strengthen climate resilience across food systems and help create solutions that advance productivity and carbon-positive practices relevant to kiwifruit.

ZAG has already received more than 100 submissions from more than 15 countries, with 11 moving into pilot programmes with the fund focusing on four areas: (1) Initiatives that are good for kiwifruit by driving superior quality and lifting on orchard productivity; (2) Initiatives that are good for people by promoting wellbeing through kiwifruit consumption; (3) Initiatives that are good for the environment by protecting and enhancing nature; (4) And finally, initiatives that foster a thriving kiwifruit industry, benefitting growers and the local communities they are a part of.

ZAG pilots have to date explored a variety of sustainability efforts, including the use of biochar on kiwifruit orchards to increase orchard productivity while reducing emissions, technology which analyzes the unique chemical signatures emitted by fruit to support planning around kiwifruit harvesting and the use of microwave sensing technology as a non-destructive method for quality assessment of kiwifruit without waste.

"We've had a really positive first year with ZAG. It's helped connect us with innovative problem solvers from around the world to address key challenges our industry faces as we meet the growing demand for kiwifruit, but this is just the beginning," said Jiunn Shih, Chief Marketing, Innovation and Sustainability Officer. "For year two, we are heightening our efforts to focus on strengthening climate resilience and solutions that will help us grow a more sustainable future, one kiwifruit at a time."

"We'll also be refreshing the focus of ZAG every quarter, initially prioritizing climate resilience as part of our pledge to work with partners to be carbon positive by 2035, and then looking at other priorities," Mr. Shih says.

As part of the industry's focus on climate resilience, ZAG is expected to include solutions to help grow better kiwifruit while nurturing soil health by improving water retention, biodiversity and carbon storage to support growers, enhance orchard resilience and safeguard productivity while growing sustainably.

As one of the world's leading fruit brands, Zespri works with more than 4,000 growers around the world to bring delicious fruit to more than 50 countries. Its long-term sustainability targets and goals are closely aligned and accelerated through the ZAG initiative.

To learn more or apply to the fund, please visit: https://www.zespri.com/en-NZ/zagfund.

Zespri's ZAG Annual Report outlining the 11 pilots from year one can be found here.

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