You've heard of lab-grown meat, but what about lab-grown fruit?
Scientists at Plant and Food Research are looking at the production of fruit, without a tree, vine or bush.
"We could have a whole new growing system for fresh plant foods," Plant and Food scientist Ben Schon said.
"The reason we're doing this is we're all aware that the world is changing. We've got climate change which is going to cause quite disruption to our growing systems and where we live and how we grow and where we grow," Plant and Food research direction co-leader Samantha Baldwin said.
They’re working with cells from a range of fruits including cherries, peaches and apples.
Scientists say among the benefits could be reducing the environmental impact of food production and being able to feed future populations in urban cities.
"By diversifying our growing systems, we can fill those gaps in the year where they might be pressure on outdoor production," Baldwin said.
But Canterbury Blueberry grower Tim Pow has concerns.
"Lab grown fruit seems to be making a solution to a problem we don't have. We have plenty of fruit to supply to the market," he said.
Kris Robb from Clyde Orchards said while it's not personally his idea of growing fruit there could be some positive outcomes.
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Researchers say it's not about trying to replicate traditional fruit but rather creating something new and equally appealing.
"If you're eating food you need to have something that tastes good and has a nice texture and is pleasant to eat so focusing on that," Schon said.
"What are we putting into these lab grown fruit to make them nutritional that we're then putting another heap of stuff in there to keep them nutritional or to counteract that and that would be our biggest concern," Pow questioned.
The researchers don't have all the answers just yet, with fully formed lab fruit still years away.
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