Paul Lightfoot

General Manager

2022 - Current

As the General Manager of Patagonia Provisions, I am responsible for the leadership and management of the food business of Patagonia. We bring to market foods that help fight the environmental crisis. We're in business to save our home planet.

Chair of the Board of Directors

2023

I am the chair of the board of the ROA, which administers Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™), a revolutionary new label for food, fiber, and botanical ingredients and products. ROC™ is based on three pillars that require farmers to use practices that ensure healthy soil, pasture-based animal welfare, and fairness for farmers and workers. At the Regenerative Organic Alliance, we envision a world free of poisonous chemicals, factory farming, exploitation, soil degradation, habitat destruction, pollution, short-term thinking, corporate bullies, greenwashing, and fake food. Farm like the world depends on it.™

Member

2008

YPO is the premier leadership organization in the world for chief executives to engage, learn and grow. YPO members harness the knowledge, influence and trust of the world’s most influential and innovative business leaders to inspire business, personal, family and community impact. YPO empowers more than 25,000 members in more than 130 countries, diversified among industries and types of businesses. Altogether, YPO member-run companies employ 16 million people and generate USD6 trillion in annual revenues. I have held many leadership roles in YPO, including chairman of the Greenwich Chapter of YPO.

Member Board Of Directors (Currently Treasurer of Board of Directors)

2008

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize – and when necessary, defend – our country's systems of democracy and justice. At this critical moment, the Brennan Center is dedicated to protecting the rule of law and the values of Constitutional democracy. We focus on voting rights, campaign finance reform, ending mass incarceration, and preserving our liberties while also maintaining our national security. Part think tank, part advocacy group, part cutting-edge communications hub, we start with rigorous research. We craft innovative policies. And we fight for them – in Congress and the states, the courts, and in the court of public opinion.

FVIAC Chairman

2020 - 2022

I was appointed in 2020 as a member of the USDA's Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. The FVIAC advises the Secretary of Agriculture on issues affecting the fruit and vegetable industry. The FVIAC's membership elected me to be the Chairman of the FVIAC.

Author of The Negative Foods Newsletter

2021 - 2022

This newsletter covered food brands that are based on regenerative farming practices. https://paullightfoot.substack.com/

Founder & Chairman

2018 - 2022

I helped create, and was elected the initial Chairman of, the Controlled Environment Agriculture Food Safety Coalition. The Coalition is an independent and member-governed organization whose membership is comprised of controlled environment leafy greens growers who subject their production processes to external audit. Our goal is to keep people safe from foodborne illness. The Coalition was established to develop credible, strong, and appropriate food safety standards; educate consumers and regulators on controlled environment growing; and communicate the value of controlled environment agriculture.

Member of Board of Directors

2019 - 2021

Founder & CEO

2010 - 2021

I was the Founder & CEO of BrightFarms, which builds and operates high-tech greenhouse farms to eliminate time, distance and costs from their produce supply chain. I created the company in 2011, and for many years led BrightFarms on its mission to provide consumers with the freshest, tastiest and most responsibly grown produce. BrightFarms is creating the first national brand of local produce, and was 235th on the 2017 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies (10th among all food companies on the Inc. 500 and are the only produce company to be included in the list).

CEO & Member of Board of Directors

2001 - 2010

I was CEO of BSG, which owned and operates two integrated software businesses: AL Systems, a provider of solutions to improve the productivity of retailer distribution centers; and Mincron Software Systems, a provider of ERP solutions to distributors.