James E. Kras is an American business executive who serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Edible Garden AG Incorporated (NASDAQ: EDBL), a publicly traded controlledâÂÂenvironment agriculture (CEA) company focused on sustainably grown produce, agricultural technology, and consumer packaged food products distributed to major grocery retailers in the United States.
Under KrasâÂÂs leadership, Edible Garden expanded from greenhouse produce into packaged foods, functional nutrition products, and readyâÂÂtoâÂÂdrink (RTD) beverages. In 2026, the company announced a partnership with Tetra Pak to produce RTD functional beverages in a large Midwest facility, marking a major expansion beyond fresh produce.
Kras became involved with Edible Garden in the midâÂÂ2010s and served as President and Chief Marketing Officer beginning in 2016, before becoming CEO in 2020.
In 2018, Walmart partnered with IBM to implement a blockchain-based system to track produce through its supply chain. As a supplier of leafy greens to Walmart, Edible Garden developed its own digital inventory system to participate in the program. Kras told The Wall Street Journal that the effort required significant investment by suppliers, describing the process as "stressful" as the company redirected resources to develop the necessary technology.
Edible Garden operates greenhouse growing facilities producing organic herbs, lettuce, and other produce for distribution in U.S. grocery retailers. Kras oversaw expansion of greenhouse operations, implementation of proprietary greenhouse management technology, and in-store display systems designed to reduce waste and extend shelf life. Kras often comments on consumer trends in fresh produce retail, noting that increased home cooking has driven demand for fresh herbs as consumers seek restaurant-quality flavors at home.
He also directed the companyâÂÂs expansion into packaged foods, plant-based sauces, fermented products, and functional nutrition products distributed in major retail channels.
Edible Garden further expanded its retail footprint in 2026 when its USDA Organic herb line became available at all 164 locations of specialty grocery chain The Fresh Market across 22 U.S. states. Independent industry coverage noted that this nationwide rollout followed an initial regional launch and signaled increased retail demand for Edible GardenâÂÂs sustainably grown produce and proprietary greenhouse technology. The company has also emphasized its network of partner farms across multiple U.S. states to support local distribution and reduce transportation distances, as part of its broader sustainability strategy.
In 2026, Edible Garden announced a strategic RTD beverage expansion through a partnership with Tetra Pak to manufacture shelf-stable nutritional beverages using aseptic processing and carton packaging. The facility is intended to support high-protein and functional beverages across sports nutrition and plant-based categories.
Industry reporting emphasized that this initiative represents a major strategic shift under KrasâÂÂs leadership, positioning Edible Garden as a vertically integrated CEA and nutrition company.
Prior to Edible Garden, Kras held leadership roles in the consumer packaged goods and nutrition sectors.
He worked at Ajinomoto, focusing on marketing and product initiatives in North America, and later at The NatureâÂÂs Bounty Company (now The Bountiful Company), managing marketing initiatives for sports nutrition brands including METâÂÂRx, Body Fortress, and Pure Protein.
Earlier in his career he worked in advertising at Grey Advertising and Carat Interactive, part of the Dentsu media network.
In a 2021 interview with Republic.com, Kras described his early interest in sustainable agriculture and his transition from marketing on Madison Avenue to leading Edible Garden AG Incorporated.
In 1997, Kras produced the film "Brokers", which received coverage in Variety.