Catalyst: Strategic – New Zealand-China joint research partnerships 2024

The global market for elderly nutrition products is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7%, from USD 23.63 billion in 2022 to USD 39.59 billion by 2030.

Elderly Nutrition Market Size and YoY Growth Rate, 2025-2032(external link) — Coherent Market Insights

This growth is driven by the ageing population, increased awareness of the importance of nutrition for healthy aging, and advancements in food technology and product development. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need for proper nutrition among older adults, boosting the demand for elderly food products that provide added nutrition, convenience, and other health benefits.

Despite the growing market, there is limited availability of ingredients specifically formulated for the elderly compared to other populations such as infants, children, and pregnant women. For example, nervonic acid (NA)-enriched functional ingredients, which can support brain development, neurological health, and immunity, are in short supply. Addressing the nutritional needs of the elderly requires the exploration of suitable nutritional compounds and the development of effective encapsulation systems to produce tailored food ingredients. To meet the increasing demand for elderly food products, emulsion and spray-drying microencapsulation techniques can be successfully utilised to produce emulsified and powdered ingredients that offer stability and health benefits.

The proposed research will focus on the enzymatic modification and application of biosynthesised NA produced by Chinese collaborators. This includes the enzymatic synthesis of NA-enriched structured phosphatidylcholines (NA-SPCs) for steady-state processing and enhanced utilisation via nano-emulsification and spray-drying microencapsulation. The research aims to provide scientific insights into several aspects: the enzymatic catalysis mechanism and characterisation of NA-SPCs, the formation mechanism and stability of encapsulated NA-SPCs, the physicochemical properties and in vitro digestion characteristics of the emulsion and powdered ingredients, and their biological functionality and applicability in elderly foods such as texture-modified foods.

This research has the potential to advance the design of NA-enriched functional lipids and the utilization of their high-value nano-emulsion and powdered ingredients, effectively enhancing nutrition and health benefits for the elderly. We will use natural materials like plant-based protein, pectin, and avocado oil in the emulsion and powdered NA-enriched functional lipids formulation to ensure sustainability, which could positively impact the New Zealand food industry, economy, and environment. The production of these functional lipids is likely to attract interest and investment from food companies targeting the growing demand for specialised elderly nutrition. Ultimately, the successful application of these functional ingredients in elderly food production will improve the quality of life for healthy ageing.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a grave global health threat due to the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in both human and animal health. If not addressed, AMR could cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 and lead to economic losses of up to $100 trillion in global GDP. Enhancing global surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance patterns and fostering international research collaborations are critical to understanding and combating this threat.

New Zealand and China present stark contrasts in their dairy production systems and antimicrobial use. New Zealand's dairy farms use minimal antibiotics, relying on low-cost, pasture-based systems with a strong cooperative model focused on exports. Conversely, China's dairy industry, characterised by a mix of smallholder and large-scale industrial farms, uses significantly more antibiotics, driven by intensive production and rapid modernisation to meet growing domestic demand.

This study will explore AMR across different dairy farm environments in New Zealand and China, aiming to identify critical control points for effective strategies to reduce AMR. By comparing farms of varying sizes, the research will test whether larger herds (less than 500 vs. more than 1000 animals) correlate with increased environmental contamination by AMR determinants. Advanced genomic methods, including whole genome sequencing and long-read metagenomics, coupled with predictive machine learning methods will be used to identify AMR genes in animal faeces, effluent, soil, freshwater and bulk-tank milk samples.

The application of innovative predictive data analysis techniques and statistical modelling approaches will establish how AMR genes spread and to develop risk profiles, using a One Health approach that balances the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. The contrasting systems in New Zealand and China are expected to show different public health, economic, and regulatory impacts.
The study aims to provide key recommendations for antibiotic stewardship, education, and training, and to share successful strategies with China to support global efforts in reducing AMR. The anticipated benefits will enhance the dairy value chain, improving outcomes for farmers, regulators, exporters, consumers, and animal health and welfare through better veterinary infrastructure and alternative disease management strategies.

This research highlights the critical need for coordinated global action against AMR, leveraging the lessons learned from the contrasting dairy production systems of New Zealand and China to develop effective mitigation strategies. By addressing AMR through improved surveillance, international cooperation, and sustainable practices, global health and economic stability can be improved.

The New Zealand apple industry has flourished under its generally favourable growing conditions that typically require relatively benign interventions for stress conditions in order to achieve high yields of high-quality fruit. However, it recently received a sudden climate change wake-up call with devastating floods affecting the main apple production region in the country. It is anticipated that climate change will affect weather patterns with increasing frequency and severity.

One strand of the mitigation response is utilising adaptive traits in the apple germplasm through breeding new cultivars since accessions vary in their tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as drought, cold and flooding. We aim to identify key genetic factors that are involved in stress responses to multiple unfavourable weather conditions, which will provide the plants with the plasticity to deal with these future challenges. We hypothesise that much of this plasticity is associated with hormones that keep the plants’ internal “chemistry” in optimal homeostasis by acting as cross-talk mediators between the sometimes conflicting resource demands of various sub-cellular compartments. We will investigate their functional mechanisms, e.g., by identifying key hormonal cross-talk hubs, by using reverse genetic and multi-omic technologies. Newly identified as well as known candidate genes will be studied for their multi-functional role in their responses to various stresses, followed by their validation in apple rootstock germplasm. With the apple industry in China having been forced into regions with less optimal growing conditions, this country is a leader in abiotic stress research.

We will draw on the extensive research expertise from Prof. Qingmei Guan at Northwest A&F University, China, which also hosts the State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas. PFR has a growing body of research on plant hormone cross-talk and a Joint Research Laboratory with the university for collaborative research on topics of common interest, such as abiotic stress resistance. A review paper on the molecular abiotic stress research published to date, co-authored by both partners, provides the initial knowledge base relevant to this application. As part of the Chinese Agricultural Academy of Science, which holds the national germplasm collection, research lead Dr Hengtao Zhang at Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute manages a rootstock breeding programme in partnership with PFR. It has a strong focus on abiotic stress resistance to further enhance the resilience of the Chinese apple production, which will provide an ideal testing ground for the validation of the research findings from the project.

The circular economy emphasises designing materials for long service life with minimal environmental impact and repurposing them at their end of life. This concept will be applied in our research to recycle or upcycle construction wood wastes, developing innovative technologies to produce high-value products. Timber and wood panels are major materials for New Zealand residential buildings, with approximately 3 million m³ used each year. However, up to 75% of construction and demolition wood waste is disposed of in landfills, leading to significant carbon emissions and contamination of landfill sites.

A substantial portion of wood waste contains preservative materials that are hazardous to the environment. Eliminating these chemicals through cost-effective and eco-friendly approaches is crucial before any repurposing process can be implemented. Our research will assess the quantity and chemical composition of various types of construction wood wastes in New Zealand. We will then investigate innovative methods to eliminate hazardous chemicals from preservative-treated wood. In collaboration with our Chinese partners, we aim to develop high-value products from wood waste, such as aerogels, hydrogels, and foams.

To achieve this, we will use deep eutectic solvents (DES), which are considered green solvents, non-hazardous to the environment, and recyclable. The materials prepared through these methods can be used to develop advanced products like photonic sensors, insulation materials, and filters. This innovative approach aligns with the principles of the circular economy, aiming to create new value from waste while minimising environmental impact.

The expected outcomes of this research are twofold. Firstly, it will result in a significant reduction in the environmental impact of wood waste in landfills, contributing to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. Secondly, it will provide New Zealand with new economic opportunities, supporting the transition to a circular, high-wage, low-emissions economy. The research addresses the pressing issue of wood waste management and aims to turn this challenge into an opportunity for innovation and economic growth.

By focusing on sustainable and advanced technologies, our project will pave the way for new industries and job creation in high-value wood-based products.