American Egg Board Names New Sustainability Leadership
Hema Prado to take on role as director of sustainability to lead expansive new industry program
The American Egg Board (AEB) named Hema Prado to the newly created role of director of sustainability. Reporting to Dr. Mickey Rubin, executive director of the AEB’s Egg Nutrition Center, Prado will oversee development and administration of a comprehensive new sustainability program encompassing critical industry-level research and education initiatives with significant potential value to US egg producers and their food industry customers.
The creation of the role and Prado’s recruitment reflect the AEB’s strategic commitment to serve as a partner and resource on sustainability, hen care and other corporate social responsibility issues of importance to egg industry customers. Prado brings twenty years of experience and passion for environmental, agricultural and health issues spanning government, nonprofits and the private sector, notably including her most recent positions with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She has built and led initiatives with broad and diverse stakeholders by focusing on strategic approaches, problem-solving and innovation.
According to Ketchum Analytics’ Brand Reckoning 2020 study, most Americans (51%) now define sustainability as the “ability to produce and provide food to people responsibly, in ways that protect people and the planet and ensure food is available when people want and need it.” Moreover, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, three-fourths of Americans associate sustainability with safety (77%); recyclable/reusable packaging (77%); economic viability of food production (76%); less food waste (76%); and environmental protection (75%).
The AEB’s new program under Prado has a broad directive focused on bringing greater clarity and scientific rigor to bear across a host of key issues in the environmental and sustainability fields, as well as in animal welfare and workforce and social responsibility. The program aims to work closely with multiple stakeholders within and outside of the egg industry, including governmental agencies, NGOs and broader agriculture, to establish industry-level metrics and data, and to arm producers, retailers, foodservice and manufacturers with a definitive and comprehensive source of objective information about US egg production. The new program will also be fully integrated with the AEB’s Food Chain Outreach function working to forge relationships with food industry thought leaders in these important areas.