Jeffrey Herrick

Jeff Herrick is an independent soil scientist with more than 30 years of experience in soil health, resilience and rangeland ecology. He spent over 25 years with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, publishing widely cited articles and leading the development of national rangeland health assessment and monitoring systems that have since been applied internationally. He also developed simplified monitoring methods and a mobile application that provides non-specialists with access to global soil information and tools to assess land health.

He served as lead author of two International Resource Panel reports on optimizing land use based on sustainable land potential and on the co-benefits of land restoration for multiple Sustainable Development Goals. He has also been US Science and Technology Correspondent to the UNCCD and senior advisor to the US Special Envoy for Global Food Security.

Mr. Herrick has lived in the Chihuahuan Desert for three decades and has collaborated globally on land management challenges. His experience includes managing a small irrigated pecan farm for 20 years, which deepened his understanding of water management. He is currently affiliated with New Mexico State University and the University of Colorado. A native English speaker, he also speaks Spanish.