Oct 4, 2023Val Dolcini joins American Farmland Trust Board of Directors
The Board of Directors for the American Farmland Trust unanimously elected Val Dolcini to the American Farmland Trust Board of Directors, the oversight group tasked to oversee the organization that promotes sound farming practices, protects and keeps farmers on the land.
“We are thrilled to have Val join AFT to help us grow to new heights into the future,” said John Piotti, president of AFT. “Val’s diverse and extensive experience in agriculture and passion for our work will be an invaluable asset for AFT in the years to come.”
Dolcini is the U.S. head of sustainability and government affairs for Syngenta, a global agriculture company headquartered in Switzerland. His work spans over 25 years of agricultural policy and management experience in the state, federal, and nonprofit sectors. He has also held senior staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, the California State Legislature and the California governor’s office.
Prior to joining Syngenta, he was state Senate confirmed director of the Department of Pesticide Regulation in California. At the same time, he served as the Deputy Secretary for Agriculture at the California Environmental Protection Agency, where he worked with agricultural organizations, farmers, environmentalists, state agencies and other stakeholders. A nonprofit leader, Val also served as president of the Pollinator Partnership, which works across the U.S. and Canada to promote the health of pollinators through conservation, education, and research.
“Farming and agriculture have been my focus and passion throughout my entire career,” said Dolcini. “I specifically want to focus my time on the board to expand opportunities for new beginning farmers and work to respond to climate change and its impact on agriculture. I could not be more honored to take my experience and apply it to making key decisions for an organization as crucial to the future of farming than AFT.”
