From insights to foresight – FoodHQ’s 2026 evolution

24th March 2026 By Contributor

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A year ago, FoodHQ was a niche innovation hub undergoing a fundamental pivot. 

Today, that transformation has reached a new frontier, with the organisation moving from a collaboration platform into a dedicated foresight and insight agency designed to future-proof New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.

Central to this new strategic lens is E Tipu 2026: The New Zealand Future Food & Fibre Summit, taking place on 21 – 22 May at Te Pae in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Beyond a plant on a page: The 2050 landscape

FoodHQ is now working across the sector to stimulate thinking around the 2050 landscape – a space chief executive Dr Victoria Hatton admits can be challenging.

“It is easy to believe that what we’ve got now is what we’ll have in 20 years’ time, but the reality is different,” Hatton says. “We want to help business and government stakeholders start thinking with a future lens and building resilience.”

In a “polycrisis” world, Hatton argues that geopolitical and trade disruptions may prove more challenging than current hot button issues such as technology or the rise of alternative proteins. 

“We need to move beyond being concerned to actually understand how we’re going to deliver our product to a market which is being consistently disrupted,” Hatton says. “It’s about being brave enough to have the conversation about change and then act on it.”

Upskilling for Uncertainty

FoodHQ is moving from the abstract to the actual by upskilling individuals to navigate this uncertainty.

“As an organisation we’ve seen a gap, in that people don’t really have the tools in their toolkit to think about the future in a strategic way,” Hatton says. 

“There are plenty of people and companies with 10-year business plans, that are very much a plan on a page – a static vision that assumes just one future. 

“It’s our intention through Food HQ and E Tipu to provide people with the tools to consider a number of possible futures and turn them into a workable 3D vision, regardless of whether the future is plausible, possible, or probable.”

This evolution features five strategic “spirals,” creating public-good outputs through a foresight training lab and professional development offerings. 

E Tipu 2026: A masterclass in foresight

E Tipu is the physical manifestation of this mission. Moving beyond the standard conference format, the 2026 summit is a pan-sector capability-building opportunity, starting with field trips before moving to the two-day Te Pae programme. 

“It’s not about sitting and listening,” Hatton explains. “It’s about learning, participating, and expanding your thinking. It’s a professional development opportunity you won’t regret.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Norsewear managing director, Tim Deane, who will challenge the sector to shift from “price takers to price makers,” exploring how Kiwi brands grow value and bring goodness back home.

A global authority on food psychology, UCLA futurist and director Jack Bobo, will dive into “Navigating the Future of Food” and rebuilding trust, while local fashion legend Karen Walker will share her insight on branding business to stay ahead of the trends.

Building the “Food Intelligence” ecosystem

FoodHQ is also developing Food Intelligence, an AI-driven, signal-based platform designed to push out data-backed insights. Attendees of E Tipu will be the first to gain integrated access to this network, forming a cohort of leaders ready to tackle the “difficult conversations” required for the 2050 landscape.

For those looking to move beyond “concerned” to actually “understanding” how to deliver products to a shifting global consumer, E Tipu 2026 is the essential starting point.

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📅 E Tipu: The New Zealand Future Food & Fibre Summit

📍 21 – 22 May 2026 | Te Pae, Ōtautahi Christchurch

🔗 Click here for details and tickets.