Kris Johnson, Ph.D.
Director of Agriculture, North America
Minneapolis, MN
Kris Johnson, Ph.D. Director of Agriculture for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Region. © The Nature Conservancy
Areas of Expertise
agriculture, conservation biology, ecosystem services, freshwater, floodplains, biodiversity
Biography
Kris Johnson is the director of agriculture for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Region. A skilled collaborator and respected scientist and strategist, Kris leads an interdisciplinary team of science, policy and agriculture experts in a collaborative approach to help farmers and ranchers meet the growing demand for food production while protecting critical lands and waters for people and nature. The North America Agriculture team is comprised of a dozen staff members and a virtual regional team of more than 100 individuals across the United States. Kris and his team also work closely with the TNC’s Global Regenerative Food Systems team.
A sought-after speaker for industry events, Kris often gives presentations and serves on panels where he speaks about the vital role of conservation agriculture in achieving a sustainable food system. He is the vice chair of the board of directors for the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium, serves on the Science Advisory Council for Field to Market and is a board member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.
Kris joined TNC in 2012, where in multiple roles he has made substantial contributions to the evolution of the organization’s work in agriculture and freshwater systems. Most recently, Kris served as deputy director of agriculture in North America, and before that was a senior scientist for TNC’s North America Water Program. He has provided foundational leadership to developing our freshwater work in the region during the past decade, especially with regard to risk reduction and resilience, and floodplain management.
Before joining TNC in 2012, Kris was the sustainability scientist at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment. He received a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and completed a M.S. and Ph.D. in conservation biology at the University of Minnesota. Kris was a Fulbright Scholar, a MacArthur Scholar and remains a Senior Fellow in Sustainable Agricultural Systems at the University of Minnesota.