Spurred on by its purpose: helping people, communities and the environment all over the world to prosper through the goodness of kiwis, ZAG will play an important role in the company’s mission. The annual 2-million-dollar fund will back future innovative initiatives and strategic global associations to strengthen Zespri’s™ capacity to fulfil its purpose.
ZAG has been designed to attract innovative problem-solvers from all over the world who can help to tackle some of the key challenges that the industry is facing in order to meet the growing demand for kiwis. Zespri™ is seeking visionaries, disrupters, dreamers and daredevils with foresight who may help with better innovation in sustainable farming, technology, automation, packaging, supply chain, logistics and industrial education.
“We have a very clear focus on the creation of sustainable value in the long term for our producers, and ZAG will allow us to associate with other innovators to explore ways of doing this, at the same time as helping us to restore nature and moving us towards a place where a healthy diet is a well-established habit,” stated Jiun Shih, Marketing, Innovation and Sustainability Manager. “We want to be the ZAG that the food system needs. Our ambitions are greater than our capabilities, and with this in mind, we are inviting others to join with us to help to solve the challenges that affect our fruit and the well-being of people, communities and the environment.”
ZAG will support projects centred on four central priorities for Zespri™: (1) Initiatives that are good for kiwis to boost higher quality and increase the productivity of the orchards; (2) Initiatives that are beneficial for people as they promote well-being through kiwi consumption; (3) Initiatives that are good for the environment as they protect and improve nature; and (4), finally, initiatives that promote a prosperous kiwi industry, benefitting producers and the local communities they belong to.
Zespri™ works with around 4,000 producers from all over the world to bring delicious, healthy fruit to over 50 countries, and it has established long-term sustainability goals and objectives.
