Sir Peter Gluckman says New Zealand is better placed than other countries to develop health enhancing foods but we are behind in research.
Pharming and the development of farmaceuticals – food as medicine or with health enhancing properties has huge potential, especially in Asia.
We have had some successes with manuka honey and, while it’s not food, merino is a natural, farmed product which is used for compression bandages by Encircle.
But we have a long way to go to realise the potential for farmaceuticals from New Zealand produce.
Homepaddock 
Lightweight chatter
Maybe there will be a superduper cancer drug developed from the bile of two day old lambs or something but probably not.
And even if there is – well they have lots lambs in Kazakhstan as well as a lot other places besides. So New Zealand as a source of two day old lamb bile is not likely to be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow since the demand for it can be easily met.
I’ve lost track of all the wonderful things that were going to make everybody rich.
Kiwifruit worked for a while but those that earned big developed the orchards when the market was good and flicked them to mugs before it collapsed.
then there was Goats for Mohair
And Texels for lean sheep meat
And who can forget ostriches?
Which is not to say that someone will not come up with an Agricultural product that will transform this country – but I’ll bet you that whoever it is will be someone actually working the land or who has at least spent more time working the land than in glass ivory towers slaving over a hot overhead projector.
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There’s certainly lots of good chances to sell “extra value” food to the world. But I do wish we’d spend a little more time establishing the health benefits actually existed. Plant and Food (formally HortResearch who gave me my first every scientific job, and who I think do great work) has gone all out on the anti-oxidants in berry-fruit. But there is very little evidence they have any effect on our health.
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A bit cynical Andrei, should 2 day old lamb bile be found to have a significant benefit it would be likely that we could cash in if we didn’t discover it first.
There was some excitement around a seaweed or crustacean a while ago.
We have many plants that are unique to NZ and Kiwifruit has many benefits already.
With our unique position in the world that creates problems with distance to markets we already are being used extensively as a second season for plant generation effectively doubling the speed of breeding up.
In spite of the shrilling that the demented keep up we are a very clean green and isolated little laboratory and the post is on the money from where I sit.
BTW I really miss those succulent large muscled Texels that we had thousands of at one time.
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Why haven’t you still got them?
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Andrei – you’re right, there have been fads which have come to nothing, but while that’s a reason for caution it shouldn’t be a reason for not trying anything new.
Farmeceuticals wouldn’t replace conventional products but might enhance some.
David – I second your call for science-based claims.
Andrei and GD – Texels are still produced though not in large numbers.
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Didn’t say otherwise Ele, I’m all for it in fact.
What I said was pointy headed airheads rhetoric and power point presentations will not advance the cause one bit.
Innovation will come when a farmer or perhaps a scientist sees something, puts 2 and 2 together and comes up trumps.
And everybody else goes duh why didn’t I see that before
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