Prof Charles Eason is Chief Scientist at Wakatū Incorporation and Professor at Lincoln University. He leads science and technology strategies that integrate mātauranga Māori with applied and fundamental research across biosecurity, functional foods, and natural products-based medicines. Prof Eason was previously Chief Executive of the Cawthron Institute and held senior science leadership roles at Manaaki Whenua and in international biomedical research. He is a Fellow and Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and serves on the MBIE Science Board and multiple research governance bodies.

Prof Warren McNabb is Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the Riddet Institute, a Centre of Research Excellence hosted by Massey University. His research interests include nutrition for health, sustainable nutrition, human–microbiome interactions, and physiology and metabolism. He joined the Riddet Institute in 2016, following his role as Research Director at AgResearch Ltd. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at the Riddet Institute since 2009.

Miriana Stephens is a Director at Wakatū Incorporation and leads its health and nutrition subsidiary, AuOra. Wakatū is a Māori-owned business based in Te Tauihu (Top of the South Island) guided by a 500-year intergenerational plan, Te Pae Tawhiti. Miriana was awarded the Aotearoa NZ Māori Woman Business Leader Award in 2016. She serves on several boards and advisory groups, including the Leaft Proteins Programme Governance Group, and has a strong interest in Māori enterprise, innovation, and future-focused food systems.

Conal Smith is Principal Economist at Kōtātā Insight and a Senior Associate at the Institute of Governance and Policy Studies. He specialises in wellbeing economics, social capital, and behavioural drivers of economic outcomes. He formerly led the Well-being and Household Conditions section at the OECD and held senior roles at the Ministry of Social Development and Statistics New Zealand. Conal co-developed He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori and is a key researcher in two Endeavour-funded programmes. He advises government and international agencies and is completing a PhD at Victoria University of Wellington.

Dr Selai Letica brings together biophysical, social science, and Kaupapa Māori research methods across the value chain. She co-leads a $3.6M programme supporting Māori agribusinesses in exploring land use, value chain options, and pathways to revitalise te Taiao. Her work centres on cultural life cycle assessment to protect and enhance taonga and kaitiaki roles through product development and marketing.

Hone McGregor brings leadership and governance experience across science, conservation, Māori enterprise, and international development. Hone is the Chair of Wakatū Incorporation and a Director of Kono LLP, leading kaupapa in horticulture, viticulture, regenerative land practices, and indigenous organisms research integrating te ao Māori and Western science. He is also a Director of AgResearch, one of Aotearoa’s Crown Research Institutes driving science and innovation in the agricultural sector.

Dr Ridoutt is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, specialising in life cycle sustainability assessment in agriculture and food. His research addresses key challenges like climate change, water scarcity, and sustainable diets and forms the main evidence base on the environmental impacts of dietary habits in Australia. He also contributes to international standards on sustainability and environmental labelling, including ISO.

Professor Susie Wood - Freshwater Management and Co-director Waterways Centre. Susie's research focuses on improving the health of freshwater ecosystems. She has published over 200 manuscripts and has received numerous awards for her contributions to freshwater science. She currently co-leads a 5-year MBIE-funded Endeavour programme “Our Lakes, Our Future”, which is developing holistic methods for assessing lake health and revitalising lakes.

Tim is a Scientist in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based at AgResearch Tuhiraki (Lincoln). His background is in applied economics for improving market and sustainability outcomes for the Aotearoa New Zealand primary sector, with an emphasis on impact assessment. He has also been a lecturer in environmental policy and economics at Lincoln University. Tim is deeply interested in employing LCA approaches for improving environmental, social and cultural vitality, particularly in te ao Māori contexts.

Dr Meika Foster is Te Pou Rangahau Huataki – Taketake a Tāne (Research Lead, Indigenous Organisms Programme) at AuOra Ltd and Wakatū Incorporation, and Director of Edible Research Ltd. She works across nutritional biochemistry, functional food innovation, and the protection of mātauranga Māori. Meika holds a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry and degrees in Law and Māori Studies. She serves on science leadership groups including He Rourou Whai Painga, and collaborates with partners such as Cawthron Institute and the Liggins Institute.

Dr Andre Mazzetto is a Scientist at AgResearch, specialising in agricultural systems and environmental impact assessment. His research focuses on coupling farm systems data with life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental footprint of agricultural production. He leads work on carbon footprinting of New Zealand food exports, including meat, dairy, and seafood, and contributes to carbon zero certification assessments with Toitū Envirocare. He also investigates the role of mixed farming and circular economy practices in reducing agricultural impacts. 

Prof Richard McDowell is Chief Scientist for the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, Principal Scientist at AgResearch, and Professor at Lincoln University. He specialises in contaminant loss from land to water, land use suitability, and cost-effective mitigation strategies to improve water quality. A trusted advisor to government on environmental policy, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and the NZ Society of Soil Science. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand and contributes to global forums including the OECD.

Prof Alan Renwick is Professor of Agricultural Economics at Lincoln University. He specialises in agricultural and trade policy, agrifood innovation, and value chain analysis, with a focus on agrifood system performance, sustainability, and the economics of land use and technology adoption in New Zealand. He has held academic leadership roles at the University of Cambridge, Scottish Agricultural College, and University College Dublin. He helped establish Lincoln’s Centre of Excellence in Transformative Agribusiness. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and has worked across developed and developing country contexts.

Dr Nick Roskruge is Professor of Ethnobotany at Massey University and a Research Associate with Wakatū Incorporation. His research focuses on indigenous knowledge systems, Māori and Pacific horticulture, and sustainable land use. He chairs Tahuri Whenua, the national Māori horticulture collective, and has led or contributed to Vision Mātauranga and international development projects across Aotearoa, Samoa, and Niue. A Fulbright Scholar, he has collaborated with Cornell University, the International Potato Centre, and Bioprotection Aotearoa. He has served on advisory bodies including the EPA and National Science Challenge, and supports postgraduate research across New Zealand, Brazil, and Europe.

Dr Rob Taylor is a data scientist with a background in computational modelling and psychology. He specialises in R programming, statistical modelling, and building production-ready applications using tools like RShiny. He is currently working with the SNi® to develop a food systems model for Aotearoa New Zealand and create an interactive tool to help decision makers explore how future scenarios could impact national and regional food systems.

Clemence Vannier is a senior researcher at the Bioeconomy Science Institute within the Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research group. She specialised in geospatial modelling and land use management issues. Her background is in geography and environment. Her research focuses on socio-ecosystems where she investigates environmental issues related to landscape and management systems and develops options to protect the environment and human well-being. The use of geospatial tools is central in her research. She also develops quantitative and spatial models using GIS, geostatistics, agent-based, systems dynamic and AI modelling approaches. She holds a PhD in remote sensing and modelling of agricultural practices in the Brittany region (France).