Dairy, red meat, forestry-adjacent farming and emerging horticulture form the backbone of rural livelihoods. Volcanic soils and geothermal heat create unique conditions for high-value, low-emissions food production as global markets shift toward sustainability and traceability.

Primary Industry & High-Value Food

Dairy, red meat, forestry-adjacent farming and emerging horticulture form the backbone of rural livelihoods. Volcanic soils and geothermal heat create unique conditions for high-value, low-emissions food production as global markets shift toward sustainability and traceability.

• Sustainable intensification and emissions efficiency
• Geothermal-enabled processing
• Capture and refinement of green CO₂
• Adoption of agri-tech and automation
• Premium, traceable, low-carbon dairy, red meat and specialty products
• Development of regional food brands and export pathways

$307.8m

GDP

1,607

Jobs

681

Businesses