Feeding 10 Billion? NZ’s CellAg Symposium Says the Science Is Here, But Who’s Paying?

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Can cellular agriculture feed 10 billion people by 2050? That was the big question behind New Zealand’s first in-person CellAg Symposium, held in Nelson and hosted by Plant & Food Research. Nearly 70 scientists, engineers, founders, investors, and regulators came together from across New Zealand, Australia, and beyond to chart the future of food and what’s needed to get there.

Source: Plant and Food Research NZ (copyright) - Attendees at first in-person NZ Cellular Agriculture Symposium

While the day showcased groundbreaking innovation and deep local expertise, a thread of frustration ran below the surface. The science, many agreed, is ready. But the scale-up support? MIA.

Opening keynote speaker Professor David Kaplan from Tufts University challenged the very foundation of the cell-ag movement, suggesting bioreactors might not be the future after all. Instead, he proposed a decentralised “knitted meat” concept, an alternative to the energy-intensive factory model dominating current thinking. His remarks set the tone- bold, reflective, and unafraid to question assumptions.

Throughout the morning, presenters from Otago, Lincoln, Waikato, Massey, and Canterbury universities took the stage with cutting-edge research. From seaweed-based compounds for skin regeneration to bioactive foods targeting the gut microbiome, the local scientific bench is clearly deep and deeply connected to global shifts.

It wasn’t just lab coats. Industry voices made it clear New Zealand has the brains, the fraw materials, and the logistics, but without a national strategy or capital investment, the country risks being left behind. Representatives from CellAg Australia and the Good Food Institute described their lobbying work and the behind-the-scenes efforts supporting Vow’s FSANZ application. COO, Joanne Tunna highlighted just how far CellAg Australia had gone to push approval across the line.

On the regulatory front, Ben Sutherland, Principal Technologist at Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), offered a sobering reality check. While recent approvals like Vow’s cultivated quail product represent progress, the lack of harmonisation across Asia-Pacific markets is dragging the industry down. He called for greater cross-border collaboration, noting local approvals shouldn’t have to restart from scratch in every jurisdiction. “Harmonisation isn’t optional,” he said. “It’s essential if we want to accelerate access.”

Among the most pressing concerns? Consumer engagement. A powerful panel featuring Denise Conroy (Plant and Food), Maui Hudson (Waikato University), and Audrey Baker (Cornell University) cut through the hype with one word, confusion. Consumers are intrigued, but overwhelmed. Many still don’t understand what cultivated or precision-fermented food is, let alone why they should care. Denise Conroy pointed out ethics and sustainability aren’t enough and echoed - “We don’t need to make something that tastes like meat -we need something better than meat.”

That message was the thread for other sessions. Trying to perfectly replicate existing products, like burgers or chicken nuggets, only encourages consumers to compare and criticise. What’s needed is food that’s new, aspirational, and exciting. This isn’t about imitation. It’s about reinvention.

Source: Plant and Food Research (copyright) - Top left - Prof. David Caplan - Panel speakers - James Ryall, Munish Puri (Riddet Institute) and Joanne Tunna (CellAg Australia) - Bottom Left - Georgina Dowd (Plant and Food) - Attendees

But for reinvention to happen, the system itself needs support. Several panelists, including speakers from Opo Bio and Daisy Lab, raised the same issue - New Zealand has excellent early-stage research, but almost no infrastructure for pilot-scale production. Once you leave the benchtop, the next step is a black hole. The facilities don’t exist. The funding isn’t there. And startups can’t bridge that gap alone.

Investor Byron van Vugt from MOVAC made it clear venture capital isn’t a silver bullet. Startups need real partners, real policy, and real manufacturing pathways to move from idea to market. And as Munish Puri from the Riddet Institute noted, without investment in scale-up and collaboration, New Zealand risks becoming a “scientific showroom” for technologies commercialised elsewhere.

It was left to James Ryall, an Australian-based insider and one of the most experienced figures in bio-manufacturing, to wrap up the day with a sharp closing keynote. His call to action -get serious, get aligned, and get moving or get left behind. Ryall didn’t sugar-coat it. ANZ has feedstock, talent, and tax incentives. But without a coordinated roadmap and infrastructure strategy, those advantages mean little. (James Ryall's provocative and insightful presentation will appear as Part 2 of our coverage)

In short, the symposium was a real eye-opener. The potential is enormous. The science is strong. The community is energised. But without consumer buy-in, clear regulation, and public investment in the “missing middle,” cellular ag in New Zealand risks becoming a story of what could’ve been. As one Future Food Aotearoa slide put it: “We’re at a tipping point.” And tipping points by their nature, don’t last forever.

PlanetFood.News traveled to Nelson under our own steam to report on this significant event.

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