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.'

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 enduring 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 business partner then certified two additional blocks of farmland and a second dairy farm to meet USDA NOP 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, sport, culture and heritage. For the past fifteen years, she has worked hands-on, full-time in the organic dairy farming business. Susan has been the Chair of the Fonterra Organic Farmers Advisory since 2016, with a group of inspired, highly competent organic dairy farmers throughout the North Island. Through farming, family, friends, sporting and cultural interests, Susan enjoys regular interaction with a diversity of people.

As global consumer demand for New Zealand's certified organic food continues to increase year on year, Susan believes this gives us a significant opportunity to increase the amount of farmland to become certified organic. This is fortified by the current introduction of our own New Zealand Organic Standards & Regulations. As awareness and interaction with organics grow here, Susan sees increased opportunity for OANZ to proactively engage with producers, processors, exporters and consumers to encourage, support and promote the widespread adoption of organic principles and practices.

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 is a certified organic blueberry and vegetable producer in Hawke’s Bay. Pioneers in their field, Scott’s property became certified organic in 1994. The 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 Association and is a trustee of Hawke's Bay Future Farming Charitable Trust. He has also served as a board member of LandWISE and has served on the BioGro board.

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.

Lou is a creative communications professional with a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, working at the intersection of sustainability, local food resilience, and community-led change. Having worked with multiple ‘for good’ organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand, Lou brings a blend of creative and strategic thinking to the communications craft.

Lou has worked for Organics Aotearoa New Zealand for almost five years and is involved with many parts of the organisation: supporting the board, driving fundraising initiatives, managing advocacy campaigns, and delivering the digital communications that keep members, donors, and the wider organic community informed and engaged. 

Grounded by life on the West Coast—Te Tai Poutini and a genuine love of growing, cooking, and the natural world, Lou finds inspiration close to home and carries the same curiosity and optimism into every project.

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.

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 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 specialised 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

A former Chief Executive of Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ), Brendan has been instrumental in shaping pro-organic policy at the central and local government levels, and has helped achieve some of the organic sector's most significant milestones both here and internationally. He is the founder of Buy Pure New Zealand, a platform that connects the world with New Zealand's finest organic, natural, and fair-trade products.

Brendan Hoare is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most experienced and committed advocates for organic and sustainable food systems. With over 30 years of practice spanning research, policy, community mobilisation, and international trade, Brendan brings a rare combination of on-the-ground expertise and big-picture strategic vision to everything he does.

Brendan's guiding vision is simple and bold: to make Aotearoa New Zealand an organic econation. That vision is personal as well as professional. When he's not working, you'll find him at Long Breath Farm, the certified organic property his family calls home on the West Coast.

A seasoned facilitator and communicator with deep cross-cultural experience across the Asia-Pacific region, Brendan is a trusted voice and a champion of the organic kaupapa.