About

Donald Nordeng is a policy analyst and consultant specialising in organic agriculture, sustainable food systems, and agricultural trade regulation.
Based in Wellington, he brings nearly three decades of operational and policy experience in the organic sector across New Zealand and Asia.

As Chief Executive of BioGro New Zealand for nearly a decade, Donald led New Zealand’s largest organic certification organisation through a period of significant growth — from 450 to more than 900 certified operators — and was a central figure in the sector’s engagement with the Organic Products and Production Act 2023, New Zealand’s first organic legislation. He served on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Organic Sector Advisory Council (OSAC) throughout this period, contributing directly to the development of the National Organic Standard.

Before BioGro, Donald spent 26 years working in Japan, where he served as Managing Director of Ecocert Japan and Chief Executive of Daabon Organic Japan, building deep expertise in organic certification, market access, and sustainable agricultural trade across the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2026, Donald published two research papers: a synthesis of the published evidence base for organic agriculture’s systematic advantages in New Zealand, and a cross-government policy landscape analysis identifying the policy instruments across seven agencies that require updating following the OPPA 2023.

He is currently Deputy Chair of the Organic Exporters Association of New Zealand, a member of the Institute of Directors, and holds an MBA in Sustainable Management.