FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, February 1, 2024
Gildiner will lead the global nonprofit organization’s membership engagement and pilot projects across the agricultural supply chain.
SEATTLE, WA, February 1, 2024 – Leading Harvest, an industry leader in agriculture sustainability, has named Rebecca Gildiner its Director of Strategic Partnerships. Gildiner will be responsible for enhancing the Leading Harvest membership experience and leading pilot projects across the supply chain to advance sustainable agriculture outcomes.
Prior to Leading Harvest, Gildiner was Director of Sustainability at the plant-based, frozen food startup Daily Harvest, where she led the establishment of the company’s first sustainability department. Gildiner has 15 years of experience across the agricultural value chain, the last 8 of which have focused on corporate sustainability, including serving as the Director of Impact Strategy for Sir Kensington’s.
“We understand that our membership has a powerful role to play in advancing sustainable agriculture outcomes,” says Kenny Fahey, CEO and President of Leading Harvest. “We are thrilled to have Rebecca’s leadership in managing those projects and initiatives across the supply chain and advancing our vision of a more transparent, sustainable, and resilient global agricultural system.”
Gildiner’s experience spans the food value chain, from farm labor to regenerative agriculture education, food service, retail, and corporate sustainability strategy. She has led multi-stakeholder partnerships to advance regenerative agriculture across regions, crops, and farmer profiles with a focus on equity.
“I am inspired by the mission that Leading Harvest is tackling and the potential for its membership to accelerate meaningful outcomes in agricultural sustainability,” says Rebecca Gildiner, Director of Strategic Partnerships. “I look forward to exploring innovative, impactful, and creative projects alongside our supply chain partners that drive transformation through the power of partnership.”
Rebecca graduated from Colgate University and earned a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment. Her education includes regenerative agronomy and frameworks and corporate sustainability, with extensive public speaking around regenerative approaches and sustainability strategy. She serves in board and volunteer capacities for several organizations that promote sustainability and social justice in the food system.
Leading Harvest created and maintains an innovative, third-party audited Farmland Management Standard, which is a universal, outcome-based sustainability standard focusing on farm management and continual improvement. The Standard is applied across diverse farming operations globally with almost 3 million acres, comprised of more than 100 different row and permanent crop types, now enrolled. Since its launch in 2020, the organization has expanded to Australia and is currently piloting its program in Canada.
A photo of Rebecca Gildiner can be found here. More information on Leading Harvest can be found at www.LeadingHarvest.org.
About Leading Harvest
Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes the entire value chain through market-driven and third-party audited standards, outcome-driven collaborations, and a learning network to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient global agricultural system. It created and maintains an innovative, third-party audited Farmland Management Standard, which is a universal, outcome-based sustainability standard focusing on farm management and continual improvement.
