Ben was born on unceded Wurundjeri Country where the seeds for his passions were sown. He worked and studied in the Asia-Pacific with activist think-tank Focus on the Global South, the Sāmoan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the University of the South Pacific. This lived experience pushed Ben to better understand these global problems and become active in working to dismantle them. After returning home he started working on farms while completing Honours research on food and agricultural politics in Australia. Ben was active in the Agroecology and Food Sovereignty Alliance - a national union of farmers - and through this has been engaged in the global social movement of peasants, La Vía Campesina. This continues to inspire and inform much of his life, being a part of a movement to build a better future for all.

In his spare time, Ben loves gardening, cooking, reading, all ocean-related activities, and of course spending time with family and friends.