John Reich, PhD

Scientific Program Director, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

John Reich shares how resilience is formed and built, the power of science as a tool for social change and how diverse perspectives guide us to better solutions. He dives into what that means for agricultural development and data, and why collaboration is changing the game.

Read the episode transcript.

Meet the guest

Dr. John Reich is a Scientific Program Director at the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) where he currently manages the Urban Food Systems Challenge Area. John came to FFAR because he strongly believes that agricultural advancements are key to maintaining our quality of life and that the right investments at opportune moments provide the necessary tools to overcome future challenges in agriculture. Since coming to FFAR, he continues to build new and impactful partnerships, including creating FFAR’s first consortium.

Prior to his appointment at FFAR, Reich supported programs regarding food safety and nutrition at the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). At NIFA, he built relationships between federal agencies regarding climate change, food security and agriculture. John holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Utah, and he received his doctorate in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin. His training as a biomedical scientist broadly applied to many of FFAR’s research areas. John is also an active member of his D.C. community, working with multiple groups, including nonprofits and city governments, to advance food security and sustainable agriculture efforts.