Blog Posts
August 13, 2024

Meet The SAB | Dr. Kris Johnson

Three questions with Scientific Advisory Board member Dr. Kris Johnson

Meet Dr. Kris Johnson

Dr. Johnson is a Professor and Scientist in the Department of Animal Sciences at Washington State University.

How do you define sustainability?

Sustainability is a target… it’s not really something you could reach, per se, it’s a goal — a place where you are going to have resources available for long-term use. In my mind, sustainability frames the decisions that you make.

For example, if I would like to pass my ranch or farm down and have it go through the family for hundreds of years, I have to make decisions that are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

What role can Athian play in advancing livestock sustainability?

I think it’s frankly really cool that a company like Athian would be so interested in everything from the corporate side of sustainability pledges and protocols down to, “how does this really happen on the ground?” That is a valuable thing for everybody involved in the sustainability space.

What are you most excited about in the sustainability space right now?

Compared to when I first started working in this space, there are a lot more resources looking at methane and enteric emission reductions. There is finally funding and interest, and it may well be that this is the time when we can make a breakthrough and sustainably reduce methane emissions.