Aimee Blake

For Aimee Blake, sustainable agriculture starts with listening — to land, to people, and to your own body. “If sustainability were a flower in my life, it would be toetoe,” she says. “It’s resilient, adaptable, and it supports ecosystems to thrive, even in tough conditions.” It’s a plant she’s known all her life, growing on her family farm, quietly holding the ground together.

A sixth-generation farmer with roots in dairy and horticulture, Aimee’s path might look linear from the outside. But the turning point came early. “When I was 21, after years of illness, I was told it was just genetics,” she says. “I couldn’t accept that as an answer.” What followed was a return home — to food, soil, and community. “I learned that my wellbeing was dependent on the microbes, foods, farmers, and world around me,” she reflects. “Once you catch the soil bug, there’s no going back.”

That understanding now shapes everything she does. In her work as a Senior Consultant in EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team, Aimee helps organisations translate sustainability ambition into action across ESG reporting, nature, and climate. Alongside this, she co-founded Girls Who Grow, reconnecting young people with food systems and nature, and serves as Co-chair of Future Farmers Aotearoa, creating space for constructive, future-focused conversations across the food and fibre sector.

At the heart of her approach is generosity. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,” she says. Nature, she believes, models this perfectly. “Through symbiotic relationships, nature shows us that when you give, you receive so much more back.” Supporting others — especially young people — is where she sees the greatest leverage for change. “All it takes is one person to give you permission to try,” she says. “That belief can change everything.”

Aimee is honest about the challenges facing sustainable agriculture. “There’s a lack of understanding about how climate, the economy, and human wellbeing are connected,” she says. “And we haven’t told the story well.” Too often, sustainability is framed as sacrifice or repair. “Nature isn’t broken,” she says. “We need to talk about wellbeing, abundance, and flourishing.”

Her thinking is deeply influenced by Te Ao Māori, particularly the whakataukī He kai he rongoā, he rongoā he kai — food is medicine, medicine is food. She’s inspired by Hua Parakore, the Indigenous verification system for mahinga kai. “There’s so much wisdom there for sustainable agriculture,” she says. “It reminds us that food, health, and land are inseparable.”

If Aimee could plant one seed for the future, it would be education that’s lived, not just taught. “I’d embed experiential learning about nature, health, and food at every age,” she says. For now, her advice is simple and practical: “Take a young person outside and connect them to nature. You can never predict the ripples that will make.”

BLOOMING  Sustainability Questionnaire

Name: Aimee Blake

Company & Title: Co-founder Girls who Grow, Co-chair Future Farmers Aotearoa, Senior Consultant Ernst & Young – Climate Change and Sustainability Services.

Website & LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-elizabeth-blake, https://www.futurefarmers.org.nz/ , https://girlswhogrow.co.nz/

* Guiding Values | Kaupapa

If sustainability were a flower blooming in your life, what would it look like? What nurtures it?

Mine would be that of the Toetoe, blooming with creamy-white flower plumes. We have many on our family farm, and it’s a plant I admire. Toetoe symbolise resilience and adaptability growing in many conditions. In the current environment, these are attributes which are crucial as a sustainability professional.

What I love about Toetoe is that they support ecosystems to thrive, controlling erosion with deep roots, providing vital shelter and nesting sites for birds/insects and stabilising riverbanks. As Nature teaches us through symbiotic relationships, I’ve also found that by giving, you get so much more back. Supporting others brings me great joy and has been a practice I’ve been cultivating on my sustainability journey.

A quote, personal motto or whakataukī that reflects your vision:

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill

If you could mentor a rising change-maker in Aotearoa, what advice would you share?  
Surround yourself with people who bring out the best version of yourself. These are the people who support you to be better and do better. All you need is one person to give you permission to try something and take the leap. This really can make the most significant impact on your journey, and it brings me great joy that we get to do this with young women coming through our Girls Who Grow programme. Also never forget to take care of yourself and have fun!! Life is not a to-do list, it’s a gift.

* Leading Change | Arataki

A key moment in your journey that shaped your path:  
When I was 21, after years of illness I was told that the reason I was sick was due to “Genetics”. I couldn’t except that for an answer. This eventually led to my ‘aha’ moment. I learnt that my well-being was dependent on the microbes, foods, farmers and world around me. It also led me home to my family farm. I healed my gut, connected to community, went on an inward journey and explored my purpose and my passion. My body healed and once you catch the soil bug, there’s no going back. This also taught me to question the status quo and trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

What’s the main challenge you face in driving sustainability within your sector?

The main challenge I see is two pronged of education and communication.

Firstly, I think there is a genuine lack of awareness and understanding of the drivers, risks and opportunities related to sustainability, climate-change, the economy and human well-being, and how these are all connected.

Secondly, there’s a communication breakdown, which I also believe is Aotearoa’s opportunity. Different disciplines, politicians, and organisation’s often work in silos, leading to inconsistent or conflicting messages. This lack of unified, clear, and consistent signals makes it difficult for the public to perceive the urgency and consensus required for large-scale change. There's also a persistent gap in translating awareness into concrete action, as communication often fails to provide clear, practical steps individuals can take that link to the larger picture.

Sustainability also isn’t ‘sexy’ or ‘cool’. We’ve focused messaging on ‘fighting climate change’ or ‘fixing the planet’. I think it’s time for a marketing refresh, nature has never been broken! Let’s change the narrative to one of well-being, abundance and flourishing.

An area you need more support with:

A solid sourdough starter and the art of baking bread.

An Indigenous perspective you admire and want people to be mindful of:

Te Ao Māori holds so much wisdom, emphasising interconnectedness, relationships, and respect for nature. I am constantly reminded that “He kai he rongoā, he rongoā he kai” - Food is medicine, medicine is food. Specifically for sustainable agriculture, I think there’s a lot we can learn from Hua Parakore.

Hua Parakore is the world’s first indigenous verification and validation system for mahinga kai (food and product production), driven by Te Waka Kai Ora (National Māori Organics Authority of Aotearoa). It supports local māra kai initiatives and agriculture and horticulture that is free from all pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and GMO. There is opportunity to bring and learn from this Kaupapa across agriculture and home-growing. Hua Parakore is also available to other Indigenous producers around the world, how cool is that!

Your best approach for engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about ESG:

I love this question. I think firstly, we need to tell better stories in a way that people understand. Secondly, there’s a saying I love which talks about scaling down before you scale up. By taking the time to listen, understand perspectives, and establish relationships, you then have the true foundation to scale up activities on. Trust is crucial to weather the storms. It really is all about people.

What do you think is Aotearoa’s superpower in creating a sustainable future?  
I think Aotearoa’s superpower lies in our connectedness and the opportunity to unite about the future we want. A future of clean water, nourished communities, thriving forests and abundant oceans for our children and grandchildren. Aotearoa has incredible natural resources, smart people and indigenous knowledge. By combining tradition with the best of technology and innovation, I believe we can realise this future and we have an opportunity to lead the world.

* Surfing the Green Wave | Kakariki

Books, podcasts, courses or other resources that profoundly shaped your approach to sustainability:

There have been two books that have influenced the trajectory of my life. First is “One Life - How we forgot to live meaningful lives” by Morten Albaek. This is a book that everyone needs to read, which will change your perspective on what is important and how you want to live.

Second is “From What Is to What If - Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want” by Rob Hopkins. This book convinced me that collective imagination and storytelling can change the world. This book has been the foundation of how we’ve designed our Girls Who Grow workshops, and I can promise you the approach works.

Events in Aotearoa or globally that you think are must-attend:

In Aotearoa, I would recommend the Future Whenua Summit and the WAO Summit. For those in Agriculture, Groundswell in the UK is also a must. Finally, a must attend for me is a summer music festival where I connect with community, have a boogie and rejuvenate. Make sure to find the equivalent for you, the event where you’ll have heaps of fun!!

A sustainable initiative or project in Aotearoa that deserves more attention:

The food rescue movement is an important one that has continued quietly building momentum and is so important for not just reducing waste but building community resilience and food security. I think it’s a great example of how what’s good for nature is good for people, business and the economy too. And how embedding these initiatives in community makes it the most enduring.

If your work could plant one seed of change for the future, what would it be?

If I could wave my magic wand, my seed of change would be that experiential education about nature, health and food is embedded in the curriculum at all ages of schooling.

The leader(s) you endorse for a future edition of Blooming Sustainability:

Angela Clifford – Eat NZ
Finn Brown – Co-founder Ocean Balance
Louise Nash – Circularity

* One actionable takeaway for our readers to make a change today for a brighter tomorrow:

Take a young person out and connect to Nature. You can never predict the ripples that will make.

More Blooming Sustainability