An agri-food marketing expert says New Zealand is failing to capitalise on our country's standing in international food ratings.
New research shows most Western countries feel our food is the next best thing to local products.
"Quite remarkably, New Zealand is generally being raised as a pretty close second to a country's food of their own origin," said Dr Nic Lees of Lincoln University.
The study, by Lincoln University and the University of Florida, has found exports of beef, lamb, fruit and vegetables to be the second-most trusted in the world.
Dr Lees says exporters could do more to show their product is from New Zealand.
"The problem is a lot of what we export is actually doesn't get recognised by the consumer as being of New Zealand origin, and that's really because we're not doing branding and marketing that could potentially capitalise on that."
Products such as wine and kiwifruit capture a greater value from overseas consumers. For example, the per litre price of NZ wine is second only to France.
Newshub.
