Nau mai, haere mai.

Brands like Anchor, Fresh'n Fruity and Mainland have long been staples of the New Zealand grocery shop. But will they remain so if they’re manufactured by a multinational like Nestlé or Danone?

Fonterra’s proposed strategic move away from consumer brands caught a lot of people by surprise. But as Lincoln University authors Alan Renwick and David Dean outline in this week’s lead story, there are clear reasons for the dairy cooperative’s shift in focus.

As the authors note, developing and maintaining consumer brands is easier said than done – especially when the cost of living is focusing shoppers’ minds.

“When finances are tight, purchasing decisions will be driven by price. To maintain (and justify) higher prices, branded products need to continually communicate their value and brand story. This can be time consuming and costly. And there can be a fine line between adding value and simply adding costs.”

By catering to other businesses, Fonterra can focus on providing high-value ingredients. It can also work with other companies to develop new products, or solve technical challenges.

But on the flip side, the sale of these brands could mean iconic products end up being produced overseas. Are New Zealanders ready for Anchor butter produced in Australia – or even further afield?

As always, you’ll find a lot more to read in this newsletter and on our homepage, including a look at the unwelcome sense of déjà vu when it comes to the political unrest in New Caledonia.

All the best for the week ahead, mā te wā.

Debrin Foxcroft

Deputy New Zealand Editor

Déjà vu in New Caledonia: why decades of political failure will make this uprising hard to contain

David Small, University of Canterbury

Even New Caledonia’s independence leaders have been unable to stop this latest spontaneous eruption of popular rage. France will have to compromise if there is to be a lasting solution.

Fast-track laws, parliamentary urgency, Treaty tension, media retreat: warning signs for NZ’s ‘brittle’ democracy

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato

New Zealand is far from a tyranny. But there are signs its democratic institutions are not as robust as they might be – with the proposed ‘fast-track’ legislation bringing concerns to a head.

Flu vaccines are no longer free for all under-12s in NZ – children living in poverty and at higher risk will bear the brunt

Samantha Marsh, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Janine Paynter, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Peter McIntyre, University of Otago; Rajneeta Saraf, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Influenza accounts for more than half of all potentially vaccine-preventable hospitalisations of children under 14. But those living in poverty are three times more likely to require hospital care.

Australia is set to ban live sheep exports. What will this mean for the industry?

Alan Renwick, Lincoln University, New Zealand

Is the ban really a death knell for the Western Australian sheep industry, as is sometimes argued? Or just an inevitable step in a necessary transition?

Ancient DNA from an extinct native duck reveals how far birds flew to make New Zealand home

Nic Rawlence, University of Otago; Alexander Verry, University of Otago

Many people may assume New Zealand’s native birds arrived via Australia. But our new research on the Auckland Island merganser shows they originated from much further away.

Popeyes battle shows how big businesses protect their trademarks – even when they have no plans to come to NZ

Alexandra Allen-Franks, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Pop-ups and limited-release menus are just some of the ways international businesses maintain their New Zealand trademarks for decades.

From our foreign editions

Can Iran avoid a political crisis after its president’s death?

Ali Mamouri, Deakin University

Ebrahim Raisi held substantial sway over Iran’s domestic and foreign policies. So, how will the regime fill his void at a challenging time for the country?

Julian Assange’s appeal to avoid extradition will go ahead. It could be legally groundbreaking

Holly Cullen, The University of Western Australia

The WikiLeaks founder has been granted leave to appeal the order to extradite him to the US. What happens now?

ICC seeks arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar and other Israeli and Hamas leaders – but this is unlikely to bring quick justice

Victor Peskin, Arizona State University

Prosecuting leaders indicted for war crimes is difficult. But the trial of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in the early 2000s offers a potential playbook.

The ‘dead internet theory’ makes eerie claims about an AI-run web. The truth is more sinister

Jake Renzella, UNSW Sydney; Vlada Rozova, The University of Melbourne

Is most of the content on the internet fake? Here’s what the dead internet theory really means – and why we should be warier of how we’re manipulated for profit and political gain.

The biggest threat to Indonesia’s democracy? It’s not Prabowo, it’s the oligarchy

Ary Hermawan, The University of Melbourne

Soeharto’s oligarchy, not Prabowo, is subverting Indonesia’s democracy

Europe’s climate laws could spell the end to low-cost flights - but what about private jets?

Fausto Corvino, Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)

Current loopholes in EU climate laws would allow affluent private jet passengers to maintain their polluting lifestyle, while the lower and middle classes are compelled to give up low-cost flights.

The ‘Dark Triad’ and Donald Trump: What sends some to the C-suite and others to prison

Bill Danielsen, Royal Roads University

Is Donald Trump the poster boy for the Dark Triad personality type? Or will his social bonds — if he has any — save him, and the world, from his worst instincts.

Seychelles: floating baby corals can help save damaged reefs – new study

April J Burt, University of Oxford; Noam Vogt-Vincent, University of Hawaii

Baby corals may hold promise for building coral reef resilience in Seychelles and beyond.