Pedro A. Sanchez

Senior research scholar and director of the Tropical Agriculture & Rural Environment Program at Columbia University's Earth Institute; World Food Prize laureate and longtime authority on tropical soils and sustainable intensification.

David Lobell

Benjamin M. Page Professor of Earth System Science at Stanford University and director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment. Uses remote sensing, field experiments and large datasets to measure crop yields, assess climate impacts on productivity, and prioritize climate-smart agricultural investments.

Jonathan Foley

Executive Director of Project Drawdown, environmental scientist and food-systems communicator with broad expertise on food system transformation and climate-smart agricultural solutions. Frequent speaker and author on sustainable food system pathways.

Ermias Kebreab

Professor of Animal Science at UC Davis, director of the Animal Nutrition & Environment Modeling lab and World Food Center leader; leading researcher on feed additives, enteric methane mitigation, and integrated GHG accounting for livestock systems.

Jayson Lusk

Vice President & Dean, OSU Agriculture (formerly Purdue Ag Econ head) and prominent food & agricultural economist. Author and frequent media commentator on food policy, technology, and market implications for livestock and crop sectors.

Scott H. Irwin

Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing at University of Illinois and founder of the farmdoc extension effort. Renowned commodity markets researcher and public commentator on futures, speculation, and biofuels.

Ariel Ortiz-Bobea

Associate Professor of Applied Economics & Policy at Cornell University focused on climate impacts on agriculture, adaptation, and agricultural productivity. Publishes empirical work on temperature shocks, yield sensitivity, and productivity trends.

Joel Salatin

Owner/operator of Polyface Farm, author and widely-cited practitioner of integrated pasture-based livestock systems and direct-marketing models. Longtime educator and speaker on small-scale regenerative and pasture-based systems.

Rattan Lal

Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at The Ohio State University and founding director of the Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration. Global leader in soil carbon, soil health, and conservation agriculture.

Gabe Brown

Pioneer regenerative rancher and author (Brown’s Ranch) who implemented no-till, multi-species cover crops and adaptive grazing to rebuild soil health and increase profitability. Speaker and educator on soil-focused regenerative practices.

Dermot J. Hayes

Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor at Iowa State University and Pioneer Hi‑Bred Chair in Agribusiness; expert on U.S. farm policy, international agricultural trade, and commodity market dynamics with extensive work on China and livestock trade.