New Zealand’s agri-foods sector is much wider than production from the land or harvesting from the sea. Enterprises in every part of the economy are involved in creating value from these products. Almost all raw produce needs processing; primary and processing activities draw on goods and services produced across the whole economy. Lincoln University researchers Paul Dalziel, Meike Guenther and Caroline Saunders discuss the size of the sector and the elements that make for its success.