Nelson Tasman has long been acknowledged as a nationally significant centre for horticultural production. The growing, harvesting and manufacturing of Food, Beverage and Wellness products is a significant economic driver for Nelson Tasman, with over 150 businesses providing $629.3m of GDP, 9,078 jobs and an extensive supply chain that supports many of our service businesses. (2024)
Nelson Tasman’s favourable growing conditions mean it is a key grower of horticultural crops, including apples, pears, kiwifruit, hops, olives, grapes, and a range of vegetables. These products are processed into high-value food and beverage products (e.g. Olive oils and craft beers).
AuOra develops products that solve consumer health problems using the active ingredients obtained from the natural resources of our land and ocean. They call this, Whenua Ora, Tangata Ora: enhancing our natural world and our quality of life.
Meet Miriana Stephens, General Manager of AuOra, and hear more about how AuOra brings different strands of knowledge together in a collaborative manner to connect people back to culture, bring cultures together, and foster health and wellbeing today and into the future.
Nelson Tasman is the location of many key stakeholders in Horticulture, Food & Wellness Products – resulting in a wide and deep network of relationships, processes and systems that drive sustainability, innovation and industry growth.
Beyond food, a burgeoning Wellness sector has been built by leveraging high quality local ingredients to provide an increasing range of health, nutrition and wellness related products to market. Key export products include antibacterial manuka honey, bioactives from boysenberries to assist with lung health, mussel extract powder, plant and marine oils, kiwifruit-based pecialized ingredients, berry fruit powders and concentrates, natural honey products, deer velvet, skincare, botanical and dairy products.