Transforming what we eat
requires changing what we grow.
About PBFI
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The Plant Based Foods Institute exists to transform what we eat at scale by aligning agriculture, markets, and public policy so more crops are grown for direct human consumption and plant-based foods become the foundation of healthy American diets.
We are the 501(c)(3) non-profit sister organization of the Plant Based Foods Association, the trade association representing U.S. plant-based food companies.
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PBFI advances the production and consumption of plant-based foods by aligning agriculture, public policy, and markets to strengthen the value chains that make nutritious and affordable plant-based foods a cornerstone of how Americans eat.
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A future where a wide variety of nutritious, affordable plant-based foods are tasty, everyday staples; farmers prosper by growing crops for direct human consumption; and food systems protect health, livelihoods, and nature.
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Plant-based foods are among the most powerful levers available for improving nutrition, strengthening farm economies, and building more resilient food systems. Growing more crops like soybeans, pulses, and grains for direct human consumption enables the food system to deliver more nutrition per acre, creates higher-value markets for farmers, and reduces pressure on land, water, and ecosystems.
While consumer demand is important, lasting shifts in what people eat also requires reshaping upstream conditions. This includes what farmers are supported to grow, how crops get processed and turned into ingredients, where investment flows, and how markets and institutions structure demand. Today, those conditions are fragmented and often misaligned. That's the gap PBFI exists to close.
Our Role
PBFI is a value-chain builder and coordinator.
We serve as the connective tissue across actors who together determine what is grown, processed, manufactured, purchased, and eaten. Our work centers on aligning agricultural supply with market opportunity, expanding processing and manufacturing capacity, improving coordination across the value chain, and forging the partnerships needed for plant-based foods to become the foundation of healthy American diets.
As the sister organization to the Plant Based Foods Association, which represents U.S. plant-based food companies, we bring real-time market insight to this work. Our relationships with growers, food manufacturers, and suppliers help us identify emerging challenges early and focus action where it matters most.
Our Focal Areas
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Connecting farmers to food-grade markets, increasing local processing capacity, and building regional plant-based food supply chains
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Generating data and building buyer confidence that translates into lasting partnerships between the industry and domestic growers
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Advancing federal and state support for plant-based R&D, crop production and processing, manufacturing, and market development
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Building the evidence base and most compelling narrative frameworks that that normalize plant-based eating
Meet the Team
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Sanah Baig
Executive Director
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Marjorie Mulhall
Senior Director, Policy
Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Association -
Margaret Barnard
Senior Director, People & Operations
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Maddie Segal
Director, Industry Engagement
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Jeff Doyle
Director, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships
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Kate Good
Director, Communications
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Quinn Lentz
Program Manager
Meet the Board
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Garrett Broad
PRESIDENT
Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Catalysts for Sustainability program at Rowan University -
Dr. Allan Kornberg
TREASURER
Medical Director, Nutrition for Families
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Lauren Kohler
SECRETARY
Director of Philanthropy, Stray Dog Institute
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Nicole Sopko
COO, Upton’s Naturals
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Aashritha Kumar
Senior Program Specialist, Farm Sanctuary
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Taylor Quinn
Executive Director, Tailored Food
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Liz Ross
Founder and Executive Director, Rethink Your Food
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Audrey Tran-Lam
Environmental Health Program Manager, Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa