Jon Carapiet

Jon Carapiet BA (Hons), MPhil

Born in Ghana, Jon is of Anglo-Armenian heritage and was raised in England, moving to New Zealand in 1992. Jon’s career includes a wide range of experience in market research, art-photography, writing and broadcasting.

Jon has a BA (Hons) in archeology, anthropology and art history from St Johns College, Cambridge University. He also studied photography at Elam School of Fine Art, at The University of Auckland where he graduated M.Phil in 1995. He works in the commercial arena as a senior market researcher, but continues to exhibit artwork, including featuring in publications through Photoforum.

Over the last ten years, Jon has been a leading consumer advocate in the area of food safety and consumer rights. He has regularly commented in the media and actively participated in the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (RCGM) and other regulatory processes through the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), as they have considered applications for genetic engineering projects in New Zealand.

Jon’s advocacy work has centered on the risks of commercial release of genetically engineered organisms to public health, the environment, and to New Zealand’s exports and tourism-based economy. He has drawn on his professional expertise in marketing to highlight the necessity to protect “Brand New Zealand” and to pursue an ethical biotechnology strategy that is based on the precautionary principle and respect for community values.

Jon’s insight into global trends in the demand for safe, clean food production, ethical treatment of animals and sustainable agriculture is combined with an humanitarian concern for the wellbeing of people in developing countries as well as closer to home. The potential to abuse genetic engineering and other technologies leading to unacceptable exploitation and harm to communities, animals and the environment continues to motivate his work.

Jon Carapiet accepted a Trusteeship of PSGR in June 2009.

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