Omega lambs and fitbit cows: New Zealand responds to alternative protein threat

Te Mana sheep are seen in a wool-shed at a farm near Lumsden, Northern Southland, New Zealand, January 31, 2017. The Omega Lamb Project/Handout via REUTERS

WINDWHISTLE, New Zealand (Reuters) - At Dave Harper's family farm in New Zealand's scenic Canterbury region, a painstakingly bred flock of lambs is grazing, not on grass, but on a field of herbs selected to unlock healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the animals' meat.

Known as 'Te Mana lambs', they are part of an effort by the island nation to future-proof its agricultural sector from the threat of meat and dairy substitutes based on synthetic proteins or plant-based alternatives.