Krysta Harden Joins FFAR Board of Directors

WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON (July 15, 2021) – The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is thrilled to announce that Krysta Harden, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, is joining FFAR’s board of directors.

Mark E. Keenum
Krysta is a champion for American farmers and sustainable agriculture, particularly in the dairy industry. Her knowledge of government and industry will be a welcome addition to the FFAR Board of Directors as we pioneer technologies and practices that support farmer’s livelihoods, environmental sustainability and human health. Mark E. Keenum, Ph.D.
Chair, FFAR Board of Directors
President
Mississippi State University

Harden was named president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council in February, becoming the first female chief executive to lead USDEC since the nonprofit organization’s founding by Dairy Management Inc. in 1995.

Krysta Harden headshot
It’s an honor to serve on the board of FFAR to help advance its mission of supporting pioneering science that provides everyone access to affordable, nutritious food grown on thriving farms. Krysta Harden
President and CEO
U.S. Dairy Export Council

Prior to her promotion, Harden served a dual role as USDEC’s chief operating officer while also holding the position of executive vice-president of global environmental strategy for DMI, which oversees USDEC and manages the national dairy checkoff for 34,000 dairy farmers.

On sustainability issues, Harden sees the big picture.

Harden has worked on sustainability issues on behalf of farmers. Before joining DMI, Harden focused on sustainability issues as a vice president for two large companies, spending three years at Corteva Agriscience and another three years at DuPont. She also served as chief sustainability officer with Corteva and DuPont.

Harden also spent seven years working with Vilsack at USDA, nearly three of those years as deputy secretary. She  served as Vilsack’s USDA chief of staff and assistant secretary for Congressional relations. At USDA, Harden helped shape agriculture policy and led the implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill, among other accomplishments.

Throughout her career in agriculture, Harden has focused on expanding opportunities for women, young people, immigrants, socially disadvantaged producers, returning veterans and retirees.

I am delighted to welcome Krysta to FFAR’s Board of Directors. Our board is a critical component of this organization, and we strive to ensure that its members possess the diverse backgrounds and skillsets to lead FFAR into the future. Krysta’s participation on the board bolsters our policy on dairy with sustainability expertise. Sally Rockey, Ph.D.
Executive Director Emeritus

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

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