Rob is a passionate advocate for organic and regenerative food systems and deeply committed to fostering sustainable practices within New Zealand’s food sector. As a Director and Advisor, Rob blends his expertise in community well-being initiatives with his dedication to advancing food systems that benefit both people and the environment.

Rob holds a degree in Applied Science from Massey University and is currently Chair of Life Education Trust New Zealand – a charity focused on empowering children to make healthy life choices. He also serves as Director of Little Beauties Ltd, a specialty dried fruit company based in Nelson-Tasman, where he actively promotes sustainable food production.

With over 15 years of experience in ANZ commercial and Agri banking, Rob specialized as a Food and Beverage Sector Specialist, a role that fueled his commitment to connecting people across the food system and inspiring innovation, collaboration, and sustainable investment. He firmly believes that regenerative and long-term thinking within the food sector can drive positive social, health, economic, and environmental outcomes.

Rob’s leadership extends across various board roles, including Eat New Zealand, Feast Marlborough, and Life Education Trust - Marlborough, along with advisory positions on MBIE's Food & Beverage Information Project and the Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy. He currently resides on a 12-hectare mixed orchard and organic vineyard in the Nelson-Tasman region with his wife Niki and their four children, where they practice sustainable farming and contribute to the region's vibrant organic food community.

Chris started out brewing ginger beer at home. From there, he grew the Southern Hemisphere's most successful organic drinks brand, Phoenix Organics. Since selling Phoenix in 2005, he has invested in a number of ethical business start-ups. For ten years, he was the founding chair of the Sustainable Business Network. He also served for a decade on the board of BioGro.

Chris has been a councillor for the Soil & Health Association and has held various roles with Fairtrade Australia New Zealand.

In 2010, Chris co-founded All Good Organics with two business partners. They soon began importing New Zealand's first organic Fairtrade bananas. In 2012, they launched Fairtrade organic soft drink company Karma Cola. Their Karma Cola Foundation supports cola nut growers and their communities in Sierra Leone. Chris is currently a director of Kokako Coffee and is also on the board of the Organic Exporters Association of New Zealand.

Susan's commitment to organic principles is visible on the land. Since securing BioGro organic certification for her first family dairy farm in 1986, Susan and her partner have certified three more blocks of farmland to meet international organic standards. Susan has worked off-farm in both paid and voluntary employment, in roles including governance, management, organisational development and change management, with a focus on education, culture and heritage. For the past ten years, she has worked hands-on in the organic dairy farm business.

Through farming, family, friends, sporting and cultural interests, Susan enjoys regular interaction with a diversity of people. As awareness and interaction with organics grow within New Zealand, she sees increased opportunities for organisations like OANZ to engage with producers and consumers proactively, encouraging the widespread adoption of organic principles.

Allan and Sonia Richardson started their organic farming journey back in 1998. They first gained certification in 2001 on their Heriot sheep and beef properties, one and a half-hour inland from Dunedin

A Nuffield scholarship in 1998 allowed them to study organic farming systems and marketing overseas for six months. It was the catalyst to speed up their conversion of 1300ha of land.

Allan spent three years selling his meat under Avalon Organic at farmers' markets, cafes and high-end hotels. He then helped establish an organic lamb export to Whole Foods in the US from 2006 to 2008.

Allan has adopted regenerative techniques over the last three years, sees great synergy between the two systems, and is passionate about growing organic regenerative sheep and beef farming in New Zealand.

Scott Lawson and his partner Vicki Meech are currently one of New Zealand's largest certified organic berry fruit producers. Pioneers in their field, Scott and Vicki became certified organic in 1994. Their True-Earth brand is committed to supplying healthy food from healthy soils for healthy people and a healthy society.

Scott has been involved in many farming organisations. Currently, he is active as chair of Hawke's Bay Vegetable Growers and is a trustee of Hawke's Bay Future Farming Trust. He is also a current board member of LandWISE and has served on the BioGro board.

Noel has been involved in the organic movement for over 40 years. He is the founder and director of Ceres, one of Australasia's leading organic food distributors. In the 1980s, Noel co-founded Ceres co-op, New Zealand's first urban organic vegetable co-op.

Noel is deeply passionate about the organic movement globally and is heavily involved in industry activities in New Zealand and around the world. He regularly travels the world as a trader for the Ceres Organics business and has built strong relationships with organic suppliers across the globe. In his words, 'Organics is not just about working to find harmony with nature; it is a pathway towards the understanding of how deeply interconnected the earth and humankind are.'

Alistair Schorn is an Independent Economist, with more than two decades of experience in sustainability and wellbeing economics, regional economic development, and international trade and investment. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Economics and is a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Alistair currently advises economic development agencies, chambers of commerce and private companies in New Zealand on issues of economic development, corporate sustainability, integrated reporting and climate disclosure. 

Until June 2021, he was a Senior Economist at Infometrics, one of New Zealand’s leading economic consultancies. Prior to this, he was the Economic Development Advisor at Marlborough District Council.

Before relocating to New Zealand with his family in 2018, Alistair’s career highlights include five years at WWF, the Worldwide Fund for Nature, as Head of the organisation’s Emerging Economies Programme, promoting environmentally responsible economic development in key emerging economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

He also spent a decade at Trade and Investment South Africa, an organisation similar to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, operating in the fields of international trade and foreign direct investment. From 2001 to 2004 he served in a diplomatic assignment, as the Trade Commissioner in the South African Consulate General in Mumbai, India.

Tiffany's enthusiasm for organic brands stems from her extensive experience in the food and beverage industries. She began her organic journey in the United States as an importer of organic Fairtrade wine. With the motto 'Drink Like You Give a Damn', she sold wine to distributors and national retailers like Whole Foods Market while educating the public on why this type of wine mattered.

In the USA, Tiffany became part-owner and COO of an online organic gift company, America's Best Organics. Prior to that, she worked on brand engagement in the health and sustainability products market. She has also been involved in lobbying, including campaigns around GMO labelling and organic standards. Since moving to New Zealand, Tiffany has been involved in the organic industry as a member of the Organic Winegrowers New Zealand executive board (treasurer).

Derek has spent 35 years as a lawyer in private practice, alongside 30 years of involvement in organic farm development and environmental activism. Derek has served as chair and director of several organic companies and grassroots organisations, including past roles as chair of organic certifier BioGro and chair of OANZ. He was also an early director of the Environmental Defence Society.

Since turning a bare 20-acre piece of land into a thriving certified organic mixed farm, Derek and his wife Roz have been commercially producing apples, juice, garlic and garden vegetables for the past decade. Derek sees regenerative, sustainable organic farming as the foundation for restoring our natural environment, increasing biodiversity, reversing climate change and providing nutritious food. Derek also currently works as a consultant with Ceres Organics, developing strong relationships with primary producers and building supply chains for New Zealand organic products.

Robyn O’Brien has been called “food’s Erin Brockovich” by The New York Times. She is a leader in the good food movement and an advocate for organics. Robyn is a dual citizen of New Zealand and the US. Based in the US, she advocates for the growth of organic and regenerative agriculture, and works to develop reliable organic produce supply chains. As vice president of impact investment fund rePlant Capital, Robyn uses philanthropic capital to support farmers in their conversion to organic agriculture.

Robyn is passionate about New Zealand’s future as a clean and green nation. She holds ambitions to reduce regulatory risk for New Zealand’s organic producers and develop bridges for New Zealand organics in the US. She currently works with legislators, trade associations, grocery chains and major multinational food companies to better understand the changing landscape of consumer behaviour and expectations.

Merf is the Head of the Biological Husbandry Unit’s Future Farming Centre at Lincoln University. The Future Farming Centre is dedicated to the science and extension of permanent and whole-system agriculture, such as organic agriculture, agroecology, and regenerative agriculture.

Merf has over thirty years of experience as a grower, having managed organic vegetable farms in his native UK and adopted New Zealand, and as a scientist finding practical and effective physical, biological, and ecological solutions to agricultural challenges.

Viv has a strong vision of organics as a pathway to better health, a more holistic and caring economic system and a better planet for future generations. She has extensive experience in the food sector across both private and public organisations.

Between 2019 and 2022, Viv lead OANZ as CEO. Over the last three years she has worked extensively to supporting the launch of the Organic Market Report, has secured funding for and development of the Organic Sector Strategy, has travelled up and down the country conducting face to face consultation with the sector and worked hard developing a closer working relationship between OANZ and the Government.

Prior to OANZ, Viv was Head of Strategy & Business Development at Ceres Organics. As well as leading strategic planning, she was responsible for their Bulk, Produce, Health & Beauty and Export business units along with their store in Ellerslie. The experience gave her an excellent appreciation of the challenges faced by local and international organic value chains. Prior to this, Viv worked at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise leading the East Asia Food Programme, and at Nelson based Wakatu Incorporated as GM International for their Kono (food basket) business units.