Aimee Blake - Co-Chair

Kia ora!

I’m Aimee, a problem solver, systems thinker and endlessly curious visionary with a love for people, food and planet. I’m lucky enough to be the sixth generation on our family farm with roots in dairy and horticultural industries. On a mission to drive environmental and social impact in my day-to-day, I work as a Consultant in EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team. I am also the co-founder of Girls Who Grow, a charity centred around education, connecting youth to the land, and supporting young women to explore careers in the primary industries. My tertiary background is in Commerce, Marketing and Agribusiness. Last year, I finished my second master’s degree at Lincoln, specialising in Farm management and researching the role of information in land-use decision-making. My industry background stems in grocery retail, food marketing and social science with interests in consumer psychology and Agri-food value chains. In my personal time, I also enjoy exploring the power of the mind, body, and breath as a certified vinyasa ashtanga yoga teacher.

One policy change I’d like to see: as Franklin Roosevelt warned "the nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself”. One policy I would love to see is one that recognises soil as a living entity with rights that should be regenerated, protected, and preserved.  

If I could choose one superpower: to enable people to talk and communicate with plants and animals so we can better understand each other and the natural world around us.