Dr. Andrew Smith, Chief Scientific Officer, Rodale Institute
Kutztown, PA (February 5, 2024) — Rodale Institute, an agricultural research and education nonprofit, announced the appointment of Dr. Andrew Smith as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).
The first to occupy this newly created executive leadership position within the Institute, Dr. Smith will lead research and farm operations activities at all Rodale Institute campuses in the United States and Europe and facilitate a global, multidisciplinary, and collaborative research program.
“By establishing a Chief Scientific Officer role within the Institute, our nonprofit organization will be well-positioned to more fully address the deficit in domestic organic agriculture research left by the United States’ current land-grant university system,” said Rodale Institute CEO Jeff Tkach.
As CSO, Dr. Smith will also spearhead the organization’s efforts to further incorporate its scientific priorities into a broader scope of operations.
“As an entomologist, my motive for entering the organic industry was to reduce the use of chemicals for food production that end up in our environment, food, and bodies,” said Dr. Smith. “In my role as Chief Scientific Officer, I look forward to leading Rodale Institute’s amazing group of dedicated researchers working diligently to transform the food system and the way we farm to improve the lives and health of all people and the planet.”
Formally Rodale Institute’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Smith has over 20 years of experience working in the organic industry as an agronomist, researcher, and farmer. He earned a Bachelor of Science in agronomy at Cornell University and a Master of Science in entomology at the University of Maryland. After two years in the Peace Corps assisting a cooperative of small-scale vegetable farmers in Guatemala and 10 years farming organically full-time in Pennsylvania, Dr. Smith attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he earned his Ph.D. in environmental science with a concentration in molecular and population ecology.
Dr. Smith owns a 140-acre organic farm with his wife where they raise Shetland sheep and grow fiber and fruit crops.
Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to growing the regenerative organic agriculture movement through rigorous research, farmer training, and education. Our groundbreaking science and direct farmer support programs serve as a catalyst for change in farming and food production worldwide. Over our 75-year history, we have proven that organic farming is not only viable but essential to humanity’s survival.