FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Birgé brings deep expertise in agricultural supply chains, climate and nature standards, water risk, biodiversity, and investor-facing decision frameworks.
RICHMOND, VA, September 2, 2026 – Leading Harvest is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Hannah Birgé as Director of Market Engagement. In this role, Birgé will drive outreach and relationship cultivation across food, apparel, and agribusiness supply chain companies and institutional investors.
Birgé joins Leading Harvest with over a decade of experience working across food, agriculture, conservation, and investment audiences, translating rigorous science and emerging standards into practical strategies for real value chains. Formerly leading a team at The Nature Conservancy advising companies on climate and nature science across global agricultural supply chains, she brings deep technical understanding of the dynamic realities of operating a value chain business.
“Hannah’s background at the intersection of science, standards, and real-world business decisions is invaluable as we work across two interconnected audiences: food and agribusiness supply chain companies, and institutional investors and asset managers,” said Kenny Fahey, President and CEO of Leading Harvest. “Her highly relational, practical, and human-centered approach will help us bring together diverse stakeholders across the agricultural landscape to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system.”
In her new role, Birgé will oversee outreach as we mobilize the agricultural value chain through third-party audited standards, outcome-driven collaborations, and innovative market and investment strategies. Leveraging her experience helping agrifood companies, asset managers, and financial institutions translate rigorous sustainability standards into practical strategies, she will manage our growing stakeholder portfolio.
“Leading Harvest’s focus on independent certification, outcomes-based collaboration, and market adoption across both supply chain and investor audiences is exactly the kind of work I am eager to continue,” said Birgé. “I care deeply about scientific rigor, but I believe durable change happens through trust, listening, and a grounded understanding of what different actors need in order to move ahead.”
Birgé holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Sciences and Applied Ecology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.S. in Ecology from Colorado State University.
A photo of Dr. Hannah Birgé 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.
