The Institute for Crop and Food Research was formed in 1992 as a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

-based

biological science Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

Crown Research Institute In New Zealand, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are corporatised Crown entities charged with conducting scientific research. Crown Research Institutes date from 1992, with most formed out of parts of the former Department of Scientific and Indus ...

researching new knowledge in five main areas: * sustainable water and

land use Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods. Land use by humans has a long ...

* high performance plants * personalised foods * high value marine products * biomolecules and

biomaterial A biomaterial is a substance that has been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose, either a therapeutic (treat, augment, repair, or replace a tissue function of the body) or a diagnostic one. As a science, biomateria ...

s It had an annual turnover of approximately $53 million (2006) and a staff of 370. Its research funding came from a mix of local and international industry and government sources, and its research spanned both fundamental and applied research. On 6 June 2003, a Piper Navajo Chieftain on a charter flight from

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

crashed on approach to

Christchurch Airport Christchurch Airport is the main airport that serves Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located to the northwest of the city centre, in the suburb of Harewood. Christchurch (Harewood) Airport officially opened on 18 May 1940 and became New Zea ...

, killing the pilot and seven Crop and Food employees, and seriously injuring two others. On 1 December 2008, Crop & Food Research (company number 547965) merged with

HortResearch HortResearch (Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited; Māori: ''Rangahau Ahumāra'') was a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. The focus of research in this company was mainly in the development of new fruit varietie ...

to form New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research trading as Plant and Food Research.

References

External links

Crop & Food web site, archived from 14 October 2008
Crown Research Institutes of New Zealand {{food-company-stub