I am an interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of Indigenous studies, agroecology, and environmental governance, with a focus on food forestry as a site of cultural resilience and policy transformation. My research investigates the guiding principles that underpin Indigenous food forestry systems, examining how these principles shape sustainable land-use practices and how they are reflected or obscured within Aotearoa New Zealand’s policy and institutional landscape.

Using a qualitative, multi-method approach including scoping review, case studies, cross-case analysis, and policy synthesis, I explore the barriers and enablers to implementing food forestry in culturally aligned ways and develop policy-oriented frameworks for integrating Indigenous principles into land-use and food-system governance. By identifying and operationalizing these principles, my work contributes to decolonizing land governance, strengthening climate adaptation, and advancing equitable, regenerative food systems.

My broader interests include food sovereignty, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and transformative land stewardship.