Jiunn Shih, Zespri’s Global Chief Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability Officer
Zespri is accelerating climate tech innovation in the kiwifruit industry through its ZAG Innovation Fund, which launched 11 pilot projects in its first year. Two standout initiatives—Scentian Bio’s VOC maturity assessment and the Biochar Field Trial 2024—already show promising results and potential long-term impact.
Scentian Bio’s pilot transforms traditional fruit maturity testing, which is typically slow and labour-intensive. Instead, the company is developing biosensors inspired by insect olfactory systems to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by ripening kiwifruit. The technology, paired with AI models, enables fast, accurate, and non-destructive maturity assessment.
“We see this as a game-changer,” says Jiunn Shih, Zespri’s Global Chief Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability Officer, in an email to e27. “Growers can make more informed decisions, increase productivity, and deliver fruit at peak ripeness—while reducing post-harvest waste.”
Beyond operational efficiency, this innovation supports sustainability by improving harvest timing and resource use across the supply chain.
The Biochar Field Trial 2024 by M.B. Horticulture Ltd is another key climate tech initiative. It explores using biochar—a carbon-rich material made from organic waste—to enhance soil health, increase productivity, and store carbon in kiwifruit orchards.
“Think of it as a nutrient battery,” says Shih. “Biochar improves nutrient retention, reduces leaching, and supports long-term soil vitality, while locking carbon in the soil for hundreds of years.”
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Although biochar has been trialled in other crops, its use in perennial vines such as kiwifruit remains limited. This project offers growers practical, evidence-based guidance for adopting the method.
Early results are positive, highlighting environmental and economic benefits that align with Zespri’s broader sustainability goals.
“These pilots give our growers the confidence to adopt practices that strengthen orchard resilience and deliver climate-positive outcomes,” adds Shih.
Through ZAG, Zespri is proving how climate tech and sustainability-focused innovation can future-proof agriculture and deliver lasting value to growers and the planet. In this interview, find out more about how they are doing it and what insight they can share about the climate and agritech sector.
The following is an edited excerpt of the conversation.
What are some of the most compelling agri- and climate-tech trends you see emerge across the Asia Pacific region? How do you plan to seize this opportunity?
In recent seasons, we have seen the impact of climate change more clearly through our growing systems and around the world. Working with solution providers, ZAG is focused on creating solutions that will help create sustainable, long-term value for our growers. These initiatives will examine how we can enhance productivity while caring for the land, enabling it to grow sustainably.
Agri- and climate-tech are booming, and there will be more developments in these sectors as we move forward in 2025. Precision agriculture is becoming more accessible, not just for large-scale farms but increasingly for smallholders too. At the same time, we are seeing a surge in nature-based solutions—agroforestry, soil carbon capture, water-efficient systems—all aligned with food security and decarbonisation goals.
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Therefore, with ZAG, we plan to use these emerging technologies to tackle some of the industry’s biggest sustainability challenges, such as automation, big-data value extraction, soil regeneration, supply chain optimisation, and packaging.
For instance, Zespri is collaborating with M.B. Horticulture on a biochar field trial, which explores the application of biochar as a stable form of carbon storage in kiwifruit orchards. Biochar has the potential to enhance soil health and productivity, directly contributing to Zespri’s climate-positive goals. The ZAG fund is providing an opportunity for innovative new ideas, like using biochar in kiwifruit orchards, to be tested on a small scale to evaluate whether more in-depth work is warranted.
In essence, ZAG is a strategic investment to foster innovations that directly contribute to reducing Zespri’s environmental footprint.
How do you see the intersection of data, automation, and sustainability shaping the future of food production in this region?
The intersection of data, automation, and sustainability is becoming the backbone of the next-generation food system in Asia Pacific. Data enables traceability and transparency across the entire value chain, from soil to shelf. That is critical, especially as consumers, regulators, and partners demand greater accountability around environmental and social impact. Automation is helping address labour shortages and increase operational efficiency, while reducing inputs like water, energy, and chemicals.
We are already seeing this come to life through the ventures we have supported via ZAG. Scentian Bio, for instance, is a pioneering initiative using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to transform kiwifruit maturity assessment. By replacing labour-intensive and time-consuming methods, this innovation could reduce operational inefficiencies and enhance supply chain planning. Growers could benefit from improved productivity and better decision-making, while customers and consumers receive consistently high-quality fruit delivered at peak ripeness.
How is climate change influencing how growers and producers in Asia Pacific adopt new technologies, particularly in sustainability and crop resilience?
Climate change is not just a future threat in Asia Pacific. It is a present reality globally, and growers across the region are already feeling the impact.
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As we transition into the second year of ZAG, we are committed to not just maintaining the momentum we have had, but also amplifying our impact. The next phase will focus on strengthening climate resilience across food systems by advancing productivity and carbon-positive practices. By leveraging the successes and learnings from our first year, the next stage of ZAG aims to accelerate sustainable innovations that benefit the environment, communities, and people as we meet the growing demand for kiwifruit.
While our core priorities remain the same—strengthening climate resilience across food systems and creating solutions that advance productivity and carbon-positive practices—we are always open to exploring new partnerships that align with global and regional advancements in sustainability.
What are some key challenges agritech founders face in Asia Pacific, and how is ZAG helping them navigate these?
As with many in agriculture, we operate in a dynamic environment that drives us to innovate, adapt, and build greater resilience for the future. From climate change and increasing labour and input costs to the pressing need to boost productivity, these realities are why innovation is no longer optional; it is essential.
One of the most common hurdles for agritech startups in Asia Pacific is proving the commercial viability of their innovations. Many have strong ideas and prototypes, but limited access to funding or commercial environments to test them in real-world settings.
ZAG helps bridge this gap by funding pilot projects and proof-of-concept trials without taking equity. We offer startups direct access to Zespri’s grower network, allowing them to validate their solutions in-market. If the technology proves successful, we will support scale-up efforts across our global supply chain.
This approach reduces early-stage risk for founders while helping Zespri explore innovations that could potentially create meaningful enhancements to sustainability and efficiency across orchards and operations.
[Another challenge is] climate change, which already impacts the kiwifruit industry. For Zespri, kiwifruit cultivation is highly dependent on specific climate conditions, wherein our kiwifruit needs around 1,000 hours of winter chill between two and four degrees Celsius.
Historically, New Zealand could reliably provide that. But today, we see increased climate variability, impacting flowering, bud break, and fruit development. More recently, we have experienced more extreme weather events.
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ZAG actively seeks solutions that help us and our growers adapt to these shifting conditions through orchard innovations, climate-resilient crop strategies, or technologies that improve planning and risk management.
By working with innovators worldwide, we are tackling these challenges head-on with a future-focused mindset. We are not only interested in solving problems for today; we’re investing in resilience for tomorrow.
The ZAG Innovation Fund connects bold ideas with the infrastructure, expertise, and credibility needed to scale in Asia Pacific’s unique agri-environment. We are not just funding pilots, we are building bridges between founders, growers, and global opportunities.
Looking ahead, what role does Zespri’s ZAG Innovation Fund hope to play in advancing the agriculture and climate tech ecosystem across Asia Pacific?
Looking ahead, ZAG aims to support the best solutions in the agriculture and climate tech ecosystems, regardless of where they originate. As a global business, Zespri works with more than 4,000 growers across New Zealand, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and France, while our kiwifruit is enjoyed in over 50 countries worldwide.
Since our launch in November 2023, ZAG has united innovators worldwide to harness the power of collaboration and combine their ingenious ideas with ours. Out of more than 100 applications submitted to ZAG, we are proud to have onboarded 11 ongoing pilots.
ZAG focuses on the kiwifruit ecosystem, addressing challenges and opportunities across all growing regions and markets. By embracing innovative ideas worldwide, we aim to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of our orchards, supply chains, and communities globally.
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Image Credit: ZAG
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