Jessica Hutchings

Dr Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati) is a leading researcher in Indigenous food systems and Māori food and soil sovereignty, and a founding Trustee of the Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust. She is a Hua Parakore-verified family food grower, has served with Te Waka Kai Ora for two decades, and is a widely published author of books on Māori food and soil sovereignty. For over 30 years, she has worked at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and environmental wellbeing, earning recognition as a 2023 finalist for New Zealander of the Year in the Environment category.