dairy cattle Three black-and-white dairy cows grazing in front of farm buildings

FFAR Board of Directors Welcomes Four Agricultural Leaders

Dr. Caitlin Boon, Vonnie Estes, Dr. Florian Schattenmann and Ambassador Kip Tom join the FFAR Board of Directors

Washington, D.C.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) today announced the appointment of four new members to its board of directors:

Dr. Caitlin Boon, Senior Director for Health and Nutrition Policy, Mars, Incorporated
Boon leads policy engagement on health, food safety and nutrition issues across the Mars product portfolio.

Vonnie Estes, Vice President of Innovation & Market Integration, International Fresh Produce Association
At the International Fresh Produce Association, Estes brings technology to the produce industry across the supply chain, bridging the gap between technology innovators and producers to identify and solve pressing needs.

Dr. Florian Schattenmann, Chief Technology Officer, Cargill
Schattenmann drives innovation for the food enterprise at Cargill, overseeing a global team dedicated to developing innovative market and customer-driven solutions and R&D efforts.

Kip Tom, Chairman of the Tom Family of Agribusinesses; Vice Chair of Rural Policy, America First; and former U.S. Ambassador
Tom is a lifelong advocate for American agriculture and currently advocates for pro-farmer policies. He is a seventh-generation farmer, and under his leadership, Tom Farms has grown into one of the nation’s largest seed producers and a leading grain operation. Previously, Tom served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Agencies for Food and Agriculture and chief of the United States Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome from 2019 to 2021.

President Mark E Keenum headshot

I am excited to welcome these distinguished leaders to the FFAR Board of Directors. Our new board members bring a wealth of expertise and distinctive perspectives in areas where FFAR sees opportunities to bolster pioneering research that benefits farmers, consumers and U.S. agriculture. I have no doubt that these members will bring new energy and ideas that will greatly benefit FFAR.

 Mark E. Keenum, Ph.D.
Chair, FFAR Board of Directors
President
Mississippi State University

FFAR’s Board of Directors provides strategic oversight for the Foundation and helps identify opportunities to accelerate research addressing major food and agriculture challenges. Through collaboration with industry, academia and the public sector, FFAR supports research that strengthens U.S. agricultural productivity and profitability.

Portrait of Saharah Moon Chapotin.

I am thrilled to welcome these newest members to FFAR’s Board of Directors. FFAR’s board is an impressive powerhouse of strategic experience made even stronger by these impactful leaders. I am grateful for their support of our mission and research, especially now when more research is critically needed and our food and agriculture system is rapidly changing.

 Saharah Moon Chapotin, Ph.D.
Executive Director

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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.

Connect: @FoundationFAR