A board of governors oversees the strategic direction of a company, hires and oversees the CEO, and has a duty to ensure that the company is being run in accordance with laws and regulations.  

Much like any other board of governors, OGC’s BOG is responsible for setting strategy, hiring and overseeing the CEO, and ensuring that OGC is running in accordance with laws and regulations. 

OGC is owned by a perpetual purpose trust, the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust (SFAPPT). The Trust is overseen by the Trust Protector Committee, who appoints the Board of Governors. The SFAPPT has established a Nominations Committee, made up of individuals from the Trust Protector Committee, the Board of Governors, OGC management, and OGC coworkers. The Nominations Committee identifies, interviews and recommends candidates to the Trust Protector Committee, which then approves or declines the appointment.  

The SFAPPT Nominations Committee seeks candidates far and wide through open announcements, their networks, and referrals.  

OGC is owned by a perpetual purpose trust, the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust (SFAPPT). The Trust is overseen by the Trust Protector Committee, who appoints the Board of Governors.  

Each member of the BOG is required to disclose conflicts of interests upon joining the board and then each year thereafter. The disclosures help the entire board know where a conflict lies. If there is a conflict of interest on a specific topic, then the BOG asks that individual with the conflict to recuse themselves. 

The BOG is not involved in the day-to-day operational decisions that OGC management makes, like who to purchase from. The BOG sets strategy, oversees the CEO and ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The CEO is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the management and operation of OGC, and the CEO delegates many of those decisions to OGC’s Mission Team.   

The Trust Protector Committee, which appoints the BOG, is elected by qualified stakeholders. The best way to influence who sits on the BOG is to vote in the annual Trust Protector Committee election. Another way would be to suggest a candidate to the SFAPPT Nominations Committee – they are always looking for qualified candidates.