Sustainable food and booze: NZ’s most sought-after exports to Singapore

By Cheryl Tay

- Last updated on GMT

Panellists at Food Connection Singapore discussed the appeal of NZ produce to Singaporeans.
Panellists at Food Connection Singapore discussed the appeal of NZ produce to Singaporeans.

Related tags New zealand International trade Export

New Zealand’s wealth of safe, sustainable food and beverage sources is not lost on Singaporean consumers, with total exports rising by 10% to $1.1bn in the past year.

The figure was highlighted at last week's Food Connection event in Singapore, organised by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, where the focus was on the quality and sustainability of food imports into Singapore.

The event included a panel discussion entitled Food and Sustainability — The Game Changer, which featured research experts and representatives from companies that import and export New Zealand produce.

Moderated by New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Singapore Hayley Horan, the discussion’s panellists shared their perspectives on the trends and challenges in Singapore’s food and beverage scene, such as changing consumer demand for foods that are not only nutritious and enjoyable, but also safe and sustainable.

Horan said the panel “also highlighted how New Zealand is a leader in food safety and product traceability”​, and “a trusted supplier of high quality and safe food to consumers in more than 100 countries”​.

The conscious consumer

One of the panellists, Commonwealth Capital Pte Ltd’s Group managing director Andrew Kwan, said, “The changing tastes and demands of local consumers are driving the adoption of international standards of transparency and sustainability in food sourcing. This means that businesses in the local industry will need to adapt and embrace transparency in a bid to meet our consumers’ demands.”

He added that this would result in “positive economic outcomes”​ and that “exporting nations like New Zealand, which is known for its food quality and food safety, will also benefit from the opportunities presented by the changes in tastes and demands”​.

Also on the panel was Fonterra’s Geoffrey Meyer, who concurred that people have become more conscious about what they consume: “Before, food just had to taste good. Now, it’s got to look good. Not only that, it has to be good for you.”

A “symbiotic alliance”

Kwan referred to the relationship between New Zealand and Singapore as “a symbiotic alliance”​, pointing to the former’s reputation as a trusted food source and the latter’s “clean governance, transparency, and trustworthiness”​ as the responsible factors.

Singapore’s emphasis on high quality food was also discussed, and was attributed to the country’s higher standards of education regarding such matters.

Horan highlighted Singaporean consumers’ growing demand for wine and craft beer from New Zealand, as well as fresh fruit and honey.

“Singapore is currently New Zealand’s eight largest export partner, with goods exports of over NZ$1.1 billion in the year to June 2016 — an increase of 10% in the past year.”

She added more New Zealand breweries and vineyards have been exporting their products to Singapore to meet rising demand for a wider variety of sustainably produced alcoholic beverages.

Horan said, “New Zealand vineyards and breweries are increasingly exporting their award-winning beverages around the world, including to Singapore, which is currently the largest market in Southeast Asia for New Zealand’s wine, while imports of our craft beer are also growing here.”

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