CEO of Up-and-Coming Vegetable Grower Addresses Food Crisis

Posted by Brian Sparks|January 9, 2020

The United Nations Security Council’s visit to Kentucky included dinner at the Governor’s Mansion. Shown here are business executive Joe Craft, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, AppHarvest Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear.

Jonathan Webb, the Founder and CEO of AppHarvest, is always looking to spread the word about the value of growing vegetables in a controlled environment. In fact, Webb recently spoke with members of the United Nations Security Council about the benefits of controlled environment agriculture, which he said is key to solving the looming crisis noted in United Nations studies that found we will need to feed at least 50% more people by 2050.

Kentuckian Kelly Craft, who was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations last year, organized the trip to Kentucky, which showcased development in Middle America. Webb described AppHarvest’s plans to locate a series of indoor farms across Appalachia to improve Americans’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The first such facility, which will span 2.76 million square feet, is under construction in Morehead, KY, and will open in the second half of 2020.

Attendees of the presentation included U.N. Security Council representatives from the United Kingdom, China, Russia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Ambassador Craft remarked how the group “saw firsthand how innovation, aspiration, and investing in people can fuel lasting, positive change.”

Beyond the panel discussion, the group joined newly elected Gov. Andy Beshear for dinner at the Governor’s Mansion on Friday night.