During the 20th century, we created a highly efficient industrial agriculture system that has fed our growing global population. However, the unintended consequences of industrial agriculture have created new problems for our global agricultural system. Over the past 20+ years, regenerative agriculture has reemerged as a whole-systems approach to agricultural production. Since global agricultural ecosystems are highly complex, the regenerative agriculture practices addressing problems within our global agricultural ecosystem are equally complex.
Therefore, in honor of Earth Day 2022, the Harvard Alumni for Agriculture and Food Association, Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment, Harvard Alumni Architectural and Urban Society, and Harvard Business School Business & Environment Initiative invites you to join us for a lively, virtual discussion to learn about regenerative agriculture. Our panelists of researchers and practitioners will address the basic idea of regenerative agriculture, why it matters for the food and agriculture industry, and what you all can do to support the transition to regenerative agriculture practices.
We have 4 expert speakers including Professor Robert Paarlberg (Harvard Kennedy School), Shari Rogge-Fidler (Farm Foundation, HBS ‘90), Professor Tim LaSalle (Center for Regenerative Agriculture & Resilient Systems), and David Chan (FarmTogether, HBS ‘18). Please find their biographies below.
Professor Robert Paarlberg (Harvard Kennedy School): Robert Paarlberg is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College, an Associate in the Sustainability Science Program at the Harvard Kennedy School, and an Associate at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center. He received his B.A. from Carleton College and a PhD in International Relations from Harvard University. He is the author of six university press books and has been a member of the Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the National Research Council of the National Academies, and the Board of Directors of Winrock International. He has been a consultant to the International Food Policy Research Institute, USAID, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Aspen Institute, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. On a half dozen occasions he has testified to Congress, and he currently chairs the Independent Steering Committee for the CGIAR research program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health. His latest book, titled “Resetting the Table: Straight Talk About the Food We Grow and Eat, “ was published in February 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf.
Shari Rogge-Fidler (Farm Foundation, HBS ’90): Shari Rogge-Fidler is a fifth-generation farm owner from Nebraska, who began her career in London in financial services and then with the Boston Consulting Group. She and her family launched and grew a branded gourmet organic food company, where she was vice president of sales and marketing. She was president of Cambium Strategies, LLC, a company focused on helping food and agriculture organizations navigate secondary growth. She was also Interim CEO at Applied GeoSolutions, LLC, focusing on commercializing its geospatial decision tools for agriculture and soil health purposes. Most recently, Shari was CEO of Family Farms, LLC, serving approximately 1,000 farms across the U.S. and Canada. Shari received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Kansas, with an emphasis on international finance.
Professor Tim LaSalle (Center for Regenerative Agriculture & Resilient Systems): Tim LaSalle has served as the first CEO of Rodale Institute, Executive Director of the Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management, consultant, advisor, and research coordinator for the Howard Buffett Foundation in Africa on soils and food security for smallholder farmers. He is Professor Emeritus of California Polytechnic State University, and former President/CEO, of the California Agriculture Leadership Program where he arranged educational leadership programs in more than 80 countries with heads of state, ministers, and community leaders.
David Chan (FarmTogether, HBS ‘18): David has over 5 years of experience in finance and technology across agribusiness. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Atmospheric Sciences from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Prior to joining FarmTogether, David was a Senior Private Equity Associate at AMERRA Capital Management, an asset manager that specializes in ag investments. He previously worked at Prudential Agriculture Investments, Gro Intelligence, & Barclays Investment Bank.