Background

My personal background is a mixture of growing op on a dairy farm, working in the greenhouses of my uncle and studying tropical agriculture at Wageningen University.
In the first six years after completing my studies I lived in African villages and used a Farming System Approach to understand the livelihoods of the rural poor.
In the next six years the focus was Value Chain Development, working with input suppliers, processors and traders on the Balkan. Marketing and support to cooperatives became important as well.
Since 2000 I work on short term assignments; doing so I got increasingly involved in Strategy- and policy development including organisational and institutional development.
Lastly, my work as lecturer and as senior policy adviser lead to a special affinity with Research and Higher Education issues.