Dr. John de la Parra (he/him) is an ethnobotanist and the Director of the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. He leads efforts to advance a more nourishing, regenerative, and just food system, including the creation of The Periodic Table of Food Initiative. With over 20 years of experience and a PhD in ethnobotany and plant chemistry, John focuses on how food crops and medicinal plants affect human health, culture, and the environment.

He is passionate about working with frontline and indigenous communities to address major global challenges, emphasizing capacity strengthening through the equitable exchange of knowledge and technology. His career includes roles as Associate of the Harvard University Herbaria, Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab, and Lecturer at Tufts and Northeastern Universities, as well as President of the Society for Ethnobotany.