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<\/p>\nA collaborative project bringing together leading Bay of Plenty kiwifruit post-harvest operators has been\u00a0recognised with the FMG Sustainable Innovation Award at the 2026 Horticulture Industry Awards,\u00a0highlighting the power of industry-wide collaboration in tackling shared sustainability challenges.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Kiwifruit Postharvest Industry Refrigerant Decarbonisation Project was established in 2024 to address a\u00a0significant challenge facing the sector: transitioning away from high global warming refrigerants while\u00a0managing ageing refrigeration infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The initiative is led by a steering group comprising Lloyd\u00a0Franks (Seeka), Ollie Hoare (HumePack), Sarah Lei (Trevelyan\u2019s) and Les Dimond (G4 Kiwi Supply).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Working together for the benefit of the wider industry, the group is helping the sector transition away from\u00a0high global warming refrigerants and ageing refrigeration infrastructure. Supported by NZ$1.75mn in\u00a0government and industry funding, the project has already upgraded 29 refrigeration systems and reduced\u00a0potential emissions by more than 17,000 tonnes of CO\u2082 equivalent.<\/p>\n
For Seeka, the project\u2019s success is a powerful reminder that meaningful progress can be achieved when\u00a0organisations work together towards a common goal.<\/p>\n
Lloyd Franks, sustainability and risk manager, said the project was built on a simple idea: collaboration\u00a0delivers better outcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sustainability challenges facing our industry are too large for any one organisation to solve alone.\u00a0What made this project special was the willingness of post-harvest operators to come together, share\u00a0knowledge and invest in solutions that will benefit the entire kiwifruit sector.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project united expertise, resources and industry knowledge to explore practical pathways for reducing\u00a0emissions from New Zealand\u2019s kiwifruit cool chain. By taking a collaborative approach, the group\u00a0accelerated learning, reduced duplication, and developed solutions that can be adopted across the wider\u00a0industry.<\/p>\n
Franks said the award recognises not only the environmental outcomes achieved, but also the willingness\u00a0of organisations to work collectively for the greater good.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project demonstrates what collaboration can achieve. By working together, we\u2019ve been able to make\u00a0faster progress, share valuable insights, and create practical solutions that will support a more sustainable\u00a0future for the entire kiwifruit industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The steering group\u2019s work has helped build momentum around refrigerant decarbonisation across the\u00a0sector, supporting the industry\u2019s transition to more sustainable refrigeration technologies while\u00a0strengthening the long-term resilience of New Zealand\u2019s kiwifruit supply chain.<\/p>\n
The recognition aligns closely with Seeka\u2019s commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous\u00a0improvement, while reinforcing a broader message that sustainability innovation is most effective when\u00a0driven by collaboration.<\/p>\n
\u201cA greener future isn\u2019t built by one company,\u201d said Franks. \u201cIt\u2019s built when an industry works together.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FMG Sustainable Innovation Award was presented during the New Zealand Horticulture Conference\u00a0Industry Awards and Gala Dinner in Wellington on 29 July 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A collaborative project bringing together leading Bay of Plenty kiwifruit post-harvest operators has been\u00a0recognised with the FMG Sustainable…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":578662,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-578661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=578661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/578662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=578661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=578661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=578661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}