Ryan Smith

Ryan Smith is the Director of Agriculture Impact and Partnerships at Danone, a company whose mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. In this role, Ryan leads transformative initiatives at the intersection of regenerative agriculture, sustainable sourcing, and supply chain resilience. His work focuses on building collaborative partnerships, financing on-farm regenerative transitions, enhancing carbon capture, and driving cost efficiencies across the value chain. With more than two decades of experience in agriculture and land-based systems, Ryan brings a deep understanding of both ecological and economic levers for change. He has successfully built and leveraged partnerships across the public and private sectors—including collaborations with farmers, financial institutions, retailers, NGOs, and other industry leaders—to unlock funding, scale innovation, and accelerate the adoption of regenerative practices. Ryan’s approach is rooted in systems thinking and impact-driven strategy. He has played a pivotal role in aligning stakeholders around shared goals, helping to move the needle on regenerative agriculture and resilient food systems. His academic background in Earth and Environmental Sciences underpins his commitment to science-based solutions that deliver measurable outcomes for people, planet, and profit.