Minnesota, USA – Irfan Ahmed, a seasoned governance, risk, and compliance professional with over 15 years of international experience, has announced the establishment of AgriGRC Strategies, a Minnesota-based consultancy focused on strengthening resilience and sustainability across the U.S. food and agriculture sector.
Mr. Ahmed’s newly published white paper, “Advancing Food System Resilience in the United States: Implementing Integrated Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Frameworks for Sustainable Agriculture” (IRJWeb, 2025), outlines the urgent need for U.S. agriculture to adopt integrated frameworks that address regulatory compliance, sustainability reporting, and resilience against climate and cyber threats.
A Vehicle for Collaboration
Unlike traditional advisory models, AgriGRC Strategies has been structured to build partnerships and engage stakeholders across the U.S. agri-food system. By establishing an independent consultancy, Ahmed creates a neutral platform that can:
- Bring producers, regulators, and investors to the same table to discuss risk governance and ESG expectations.
- Pilot integrated GRC frameworks across cooperatives and processors with support from state and federal partners.
- Publish shared resources such as white papers, training programs, and workshops that advance policy objectives and strengthen national preparedness.
Global Experience, Local Application
Ahmed has a strong success record in implementing GRC frameworks across high-impact sectors including agriculture, consumer goods, energy, healthcare, and real estate. His professional background includes leadership roles with NADEC (National Agricultural Development Company), where he spearheaded the creation of enterprise risk management structures, and with Deloitte Risk Advisory, where he guided Giga Projects such as ROSHN, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), and Red Sea Development Company.
These case studies — reducing non-compliance incidents by 35% at NADEC, embedding sustainability metrics in ROSHN’s land planning, and developing ESG data collection systems at Red Sea Development — provide a tested blueprint adaptable to the U.S. food system.
The Mission of AgriGRC Strategies
The consultancy will provide:
- Enterprise Risk Assessment & Scenario Planning tailored to U.S. producers and cooperatives.
- Governance and Compliance Design aligned with ISO, COSO, and ESG standards.
- Cybersecurity and AI/IoT Risk Monitoring for food supply resilience.
- Training and Capacity Building for compliance officers and boards.
- Publication of Knowledge Assets such as white papers, curricula, and cross-sector workshops to advance policy objectives.
National Relevance
AgriGRC Strategies directly supports federal priorities such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the USDA Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, and DHS directives on critical infrastructure protection. Each of these frameworks emphasizes prevention, resilience, and sector-wide preparedness. By embedding integrated GRC systems into agricultural operations, the consultancy helps stakeholders meet regulatory requirements more efficiently while also advancing climate resilience, food safety, and cybersecurity. This alignment ensures that the work of the consultancy is not only commercially useful but also tightly coupled with the nation’s policy agenda for agricultural sustainability and public welfare.
Equally important, the consultancy structure allows Irfan Ahmed’s expertise to extend far beyond the capacity of a single employer. By engaging with multiple cooperatives, processors, and regulators simultaneously, AgriGRC Strategies can deliver harmonized frameworks, shared resources such as industry toolkits, and cross-sector training programs. These outcomes foster systemic improvements in food security and supply chain continuity while building a knowledge base that strengthens U.S. competitiveness in global markets. The consultancy thus functions as both an implementation hub and a national collaboration platform, ensuring that America’s food system remains resilient, sustainable, and well-governed in the face of emerging risks.
AgriGRC Strategies aligns with federal priorities, including the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture initiatives, and DHS critical infrastructure protection. By situating his endeavor within an independent consultancy, Ahmed ensures his work impacts not just one employer but the entire agricultural ecosystem, addressing national food security and sustainability needs.
Quote from Irfan Ahmed
“The U.S. food system cannot afford to treat governance, risk, and compliance as isolated functions. Through AgriGRC Strategies, I aim to deliver integrated solutions that enhance compliance, improve resilience, and build public trust. This endeavor is about safeguarding America’s food future.”
About Irfan Ahmed
Irfan Ahmed is a seasoned governance, risk, and compliance professional who holds multiple globally recognized credentials, including Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Internal Control Auditor (CICA), and Certified Governance, Risk, and Compliance Auditor (GRCA). He also holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance, equipping him with a strong analytical foundation for enterprise risk management. With over 15 years of experience across diverse industries and geographies, Mr. Ahmed has successfully designed and implemented integrated governance frameworks for organizations such as Deloitte Risk Advisory and NADEC, one of the largest agricultural companies in the Middle East. His expertise spans ISO 31000 risk management, COSO enterprise risk frameworks, ESG reporting, and cybersecurity oversight, with a track record of leading high-profile projects in agriculture, energy, healthcare, real estate, and consumer goods. As Founder of AgriGRC Strategies, he now applies this international experience to advance resilience and sustainability in the U.S. food and agriculture sector, offering sector-wide solutions that align with both regulatory priorities and global best practices.
About AgriGRC Strategies
Registered in Minnesota, AgriGRC Strategies is a specialized consultancy committed to advancing governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) practices across the U.S. food and agriculture sector. The firm was established as a collaborative platform, enabling producers, cooperatives, regulators, and investors to adopt integrated frameworks that strengthen national resilience. Its services include designing enterprise-wide GRC systems, ESG reporting integration aligned with global standards (SASB, GRI, TCFD), and cybersecurity solutions incorporating IoT and AI-enabled monitoring for food supply chains. Beyond implementation, AgriGRC Strategies focuses on capacity building, offering scalable training programs for compliance officers, boards, and management teams. By bridging regulatory priorities with operational realities, the consultancy supports both private and public stakeholders in meeting federal mandates such as FSMA, USDA Climate-Smart initiatives, and DHS critical infrastructure protection, while fostering a culture of sustainability, transparency, and accountability.
Media Inquiries, Speaking Engagements, or Collaboration Opportunities:
Irfan Ahmed, CA, CIA, CICA, GRCA welcomes opportunities to collaborate with agricultural producers, cooperatives, regulators, investors, and professional associations committed to advancing resilience and sustainability in the U.S. food system. Through his consultancy, AgriGRC Strategies, he provides enterprise-wide governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions, ESG integration, cybersecurity and IoT-based monitoring, as well as training and capacity-building workshops designed to strengthen sector-wide resilience.
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