It is with a very heavy heart that we share the news that Ray Goldberg, who earned his PhD from our department in 1952, passed away peacefully at home on February 16, 2026.
Some of you saw him at this year’s agribusiness seminar in mid-January, where he was as engaged as ever. His accomplishments are many.
I joined Harvard a year and a half ago and feel extremely fortunate to have met Ray. He was one of the kindest people I’ve known—someone who believed in bringing people together and in training the next generation of leaders in the food system. Ray has been an inspiration to so many and will continue to be.
Here is a podcast in which Ray discusses his book Food Citizenship. The first part focuses on PAPSAC—how he started it, the initial obstacles he had to overcome, and why he felt it was so important for the future.