Niels van den Bosch is Supply Chain Developer at FairMatch Support.

Growing up across Africa and South America I was introduced and intrigued by the international development sector from an early age. Simultaneously I developed a particular interest in sustainable agriculture.

I decided to combine my interests. I first studied organic farming in the Netherlands. This gave me a good understanding of what it takes to manage a farm, and more importantly, it allowed me to get my hands dirty by working on farms across Europe. To broaden my understanding of the international development sector I continued my studies (Bachelor and Master) in development and rural innovation at Wageningen University.

Eventually my studies and career has led me to work in countries such as Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Gabon and most recently Nigeria, where I spend 6 years working on scaling-up agricultural innovations through private sector development. I particularly enjoyed unravelling the socioeconomic contexts in which rural communities operate, and subsequently working with stakeholders on strategic planning and real impact.

My background has taught me that supporting farmer organizations to strategize and sustainably scale out their operations lies at the root of socioeconomic development in low- and middle-income countries. It is within this context of sustainable agricultural development and impact that I joined the team of FairMatch Support.

Herman uit de Bosch is founder and managing director of FairMatch Support.

Because I was born and raised at the countryside I’ve always felt connected to the land, its options and its limitations. I have a deep rooted feeling of stewardship: our parents managed the land for us and we manage the land for our children. We have to take care of the land and prepare it so future generations can also benefit from it. The base of sustainability.

This is why I studied at Wageningen Agricultural University where I learned more about agriculture but also about the inequalities in many supply chains and because of that the in-sustainability of them. In many cases farmers are not paid for a proper use of the land and their work and therefore have less options to invest.

After graduation I worked abroad for various organisations always looking and working how supply chains could be improved. I did this on a range of produce in various countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. I learned that the only way to change things is to work jointly with the other actors in the supply chain and try to do it differently through collaboration, long term agreements and specific positioning in the market. I realised that I would like to work on this now and in the future and have specialised in this.

Therefore we started FairMatch Support in 2007. We work on innovative solutions to develop, improve and accelerate sustainable agricultural supply chains. We have expertise in various sectors; from fruit and vegetables, to cocoa, nuts and beeswax. We have offices in West Africa, Central Asia and the Netherlands. Besides this we work with partners all over the world. For me this one important part of our business. We believe that co-creation and long-term collaboration are key to sustainable development. In the end the result is of everybody in the supply chain and not of one person in particular which is the best ingredient for accepting the changes.

I’ve learned that with relatively small adjustments you can make huge changes. Shorten supply chains, introducing to pay on quality which stimulates improvement that benefits all. Everywhere in the world you can find professionals who would like to work jointly on this and the best part of my work is to jointly co-create the solution for the specific setting and make it also jointly happen. I have a deep respect for my colleagues abroad and the persons in the various companies that have the drive to make a change.

Janet Zeegers is Finance Manager at FairMatch Support.

From an early age I’m interested in discovering new cultures. By living and working in various environments with different norms and values, one also starts to look at your own habits and learn a lot about yourself and others. I always come across things that are different from what I’m used to, I find this very interesting and it gives me energy.

This is why I worked in several countries all over the world. After high school I did a course in finance and I moved to Botswana to work on a project about drought resistant cash crops for smallholder farmers. An interesting project in which I discovered that I’m driven by the question of how we can distribute prosperity in the world more fairly.

Back in the Netherlands I studied Development Economics in Amsterdam. After graduation I worked for various development-, emergency aid- and human right organisations such as SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Zambia and Nepal on various projects such as forestry, fishing and women's rights. Further I worked for Doctors Without Borders and Mama Cash where I managed amongst others the finance departments.

At FairMatch Support I’m responsible for all financial processes and possible system and process improvements within the FairMatch Support organisation. The commercial part is new for me and that makes my work as Finance Manager at FairMatch Support interesting. I enjoy working with our dedicated partners on improvement of their internal and external financial reporting, obtaining more inside in the actual financial doing of the organisation, and the further development of the administrative organisation. I’m always looking whether there are possibilities to improve situations, processes, reporting and systems and enjoys finding solutions for it: finance is fun!

Lotte Amelink is Supply Chain Developer at FairMatch Support.

From an early age I have been interested in how change works; changes in behaviour, but also change on an organizational and societal level. I completed Governance Studies, with a Masters degree in Change Management, at the Utrecht University. Here I focused on how organisations can transform to sustainable actors. Next to my Masters I completed several  minors in development studies, to study and better understand the complex field of international development. After graduating I knew that I wanted to dedicate my professional career to working on structural solutions for the current race to the bottom that causes poverty and the exploitation of ecosystems.

After starting my career in Amsterdam, I worked in South- and Central America. In Peru I worked as an organisational advisor to a social enterprise that is involved in international trade. In Costa Rica I worked at a sustainable development consultancy company. My work in Latin America showed me the complexities of international value chains and the destructive outcomes of international trade on societies and ecosystems. It was in Latin America that I became convinced that only market driven solutions facilitate sustainable change. Creating social and environmental value should be the purpose of every company, only in close cooperation with governments and NGOs this purpose can be fulfilled.

When I returned to the Netherlands I continued my work on sustainable transitions in international value chains as a strategy consultant at TheRockGroup and later at NewForesight. I gained a lot of experience in many different sectors, ranging from bananas to gold. As an advisor and/or a facilitator, I worked with NGOs, governments, private parties, multi-stakeholder platforms on national and global level to develop strategies that contribute to the transition to a more inclusive, just and sustainable economy.

I work at FairMatch Support because we are very frank about the work we do and the impact that we want to have. Our local offices and partners enable us to work closely together with farmers and allow us to develop market driven projects that really adhere to the local circumstances and focus on systemic long term impact on farm level. As an offstage player we have the ability to go beyond the politics and the hectic of daily business and work on improving the long term positive impact of agriculture, food manufacturing and retailing companies.

Kim uit de Bosch is Supply Chain Developer at FairMatch Support.

When you live in a world where a certain group has a subscription on drawing the short straw, what else can you do than work to change the imbalance?

As a young girl, I was convinced I was going to bring world peace. During my Bachelor’s in international development at Wageningen University, I learned that this mindset did not work out well in the past. My ‘western’ vision to reach world peace is not the same for everyone. To improve the situation, it’s about listening and amplifying the voice of the ones that do not have a permanent seat at the table where the decisions are made whilst understanding the voices that do have a seat. To understand that better, I continued with a Master’s in development economics. As part of my studies, I did an internship at the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC), a coalition of 8 multinationals, and went to Ivory Coast to do research on the differences in entrepreneurship between rice farmers. In Ivory Coast I learned that it can be more effective as a company to attract the farmers you need instead of looking for them.

Convinced that the corporate world can play a crucial part in creating a sustainable future, I was looking for a movement that could realise a shift from focusing on shareholders to society at large. I worked on the implementation of the true price, including the social and environmental costs, in supermarket De Aanzet in Amsterdam. To increase my impact, I switched to Impact Institute where I learned more about the calculations behind these true prices. Now I am at FairMatch Support, and I want to focus on co-creating change within the supply chains. As I wanted to move towards the core, the actual production.

Supply Chain Developer

Administrative Assistant & Accountant

Cheick Ahmed Konate is Supply Chain Development Assistant at FairMatch Support.

During my Education, and especially with the growing food insecurity in my country Burkina Faso, I’m driven to work in the field of value chain development in order to contribute to the achievement of food self-sufficiency, poverty reduction, job creation and improvement of human health. I believe that the development of sustainable food value chains can provide a way out of poverty for millions of poor households in developing countries.

The quote “Agriculture should be the first activity of health. The peasant must precede the doctor” denotes my vision. Indeed, I believe that the food choices we make affect our health, our economy and our nature.

After my Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy at the Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso I did my Masters in Project Management at the Aube-Nouvelle University of Ouagadougou. I gained experience in in pedagogy (knowledge transfer) as a teacher.

In 2016, I joined the FairMatch Support West Africa team as a developer of sustainable supply chains. I gained experience in project management, supporting, certification, conducting surveys, monitoring-evaluation and diagnosis of farmer organisations for the development of agricultural value chains such as for cashew, beekeeping, sesame ad shea.

What appeals to me about working at FairMatch Support that we are present where the link is the where the link needs most development.

Martin Ramde is Supply Chain Developer at FairMatch Support

Like nearly 80% of Burkinabé, I was born and raised in a rural environment in a family where the main activity is agriculture. During my school holidays, I accompanied my parents in carrying out work on the farm. I learned that working on a farm can be challenging and income level is uncertain. Due to this experience I want to make a positive change in the lives of my parents. This is why I studied Agriculture, to work on improvement of working conditions and the income of farmers.

After obtaining my Master's degree in agricultural and environmental economics, I was recruited by the Ministry in charge of agriculture to analyse the link between production and the market for agricultural products and potential improvements. I mainly worked on the promotion of investments in the agricultural sector to improve yields and reduce the arduousness of agricultural work.

Working At FairMatch Support, it’s a childhood dream come true. Our activities directly benefit producers in rural areas through improved production and especially access to more profitable and sustainable markets. Since 2015 I’m working on the improvement of living conditions of women and men in communities grouped together in cooperatives in Burkina Faso and Mali. It is a great satisfaction to have supported more than 20 cooperatives of more than 50,000 producers (80% women) in more than 8 agricultural sectors to organise themselves, improve their production, position themselves in niche markets through organic and fair trade certifications.

Hyacinthe Ouattara is in charge of supply chain development at FairMatch Support. This includes, among other things coordination of our work in Côte d'Ivoire, the implementation of projects in the cashew and rice sector.

In any situation, a person faces three states of mind: (1) what he thinks: his opinion, his personal interpretation, (2) what is: reality and (3) what must be: focus on the results but also on the process with a certain flexibility. Facing these three states of mind and a constantly changing world with a strong movement of the agricultural world and the agribusiness sector, I understood that it takes a strong personal development, a strong team spirit and strong visibility to meet major sustainability challenges.

After my Masters in Agricultural Economics, I continued my training in Egypt and France, respectively at the Senghor University of Alexandria in Environmental Management and at the Pierre Mendes University of Grenoble in Strategic Business Management and Analysis of supply chain. During these two programs, I learned even more about economic development policies and especially the question of reconciling: economic development - environmental management - social development. Enthusiastic and expressive, I understood that, for a healthier and more sustainable world, we will have to think differently about the choices we make, taking into account not only the three states of mind that a person faces but also by taking into account the interaction between humans. This makes us think that we are in an ecosystem where we interact with each other and with the environment that surrounds us, like a chain.

After obtaining my diplomas, I got involved, since 2009, with FairMatch Support to develop sustainable sectors through “Win - Win” partnerships between all actors and by creating added value in any situation.

My work at FairMatch Support as a supply chain development agent allowed me to gain experience in the analysis of economic policies and supply chains, the development and capacity building of organisations and animation of group. Indeed, FairMatch Support's vision is to promote and support private investment, create added value as well as market development. We aim to boost the rural sector by mastering management concepts and promoting entrepreneurship in rural areas.

Ibrahim Diomande is a field animator

Originally, my motivation for working in the agricultural sector was to be able to improve the living and working conditions of farmers. Who in my view were the essential link in the chain. Later, during my training in agriculture and cooperation, I better understood the importance and interdependence of each link, better identified any synergies or antagonisms between them, hence the need to have an equitable and sustainable supply chain so that all stakeholders can benefit. FairMatch Support is the ideal solution for me.

During my agricultural training I learned to consider sociological aspects in my approach with the farming world, which is of great use to me in my activities at FairMatch Support. After my diploma, I joined the National Agency for Rural Development Support (ANADER) where I was responsible for all kinds of field activities (training, awareness, surveys). This experience has been very beneficial for my work at FairMatch Support.

Executive director West Africa

Hervé Kévin AKOU is Supply Chain Development Assistant at FairMatch Support.

I’m aware that the agricultural sector is encountering enormous difficulties in relation to the depreciation of international prices of raw materials in recent years. This is why I am motivated to work in the agricultural sector is to improve the work and life conditions of farmers. In my understanding farmers are the essential link in development of the sector.

I studied Marketing Management at the EDHEC Group. During this education I was able to identify the techniques of commercial strategy and in particular the upstream and downstream market study. Similarly, my Master degree allowed me to understand the importance and interdependence of each link and to better understand the possible synergies or antagonisms between them.

After graduation I joined the NGO ITAD (Ivorian NGO for Appropriate Technologies for Development) where I was in charge of all kinds of field activities such as training, awareness raising and surveys. This work allowed me to acquire enough knowledge and techniques in the field of agriculture. All these skills can be an asset for my activities at FairMatch Support in terms of training and monitoring-coaching of producers and their cooperatives. I joined the FairMatch Support team because I understand the need for fair and sustainable supply chains so that it benefits all actors. Indeed, the supply chain includes not only the producer and his suppliers, but also, according to the logistics flows, the carriers, the warehouses, the retailers and the consumers. My work at FairMatch Support as a sector development assistant have allowed me to acquire a lot of knowledge. First of all to deepen my skills in knowledge of agricultural products, then to understand the essence of the management of agricultural and to understand the training of producers on plant management and environmental conservation.

Lionel Ilboudo is Administrative and Financial Manager at FairMatch Support.

After my Diploma Technician in Finance Accounting, I gained experience in accounting and finance at various sectors such as industry, health care, trade. I worked for different organisations for exammple the accounting firm Sofidec – Nexia International, Falcon Drilling Burkina, ICI Partnairs, Sécuritech Burkina and Sec Diarra Burkina Faso.

The agriculture sector was new for me when I started at FairMatch Support. I was very quickly fascinated by this sector with regard to the different added values ​​provided by the actions of FairMatch Support West Africa both in the agricultural and socio-economic field as well both nationally and internationally.

The contribution of FairMatch Support to the sustainable development of the rural world gives me satisfaction. I’m very enthusiastic about our involvement in the development of the actors of the agricultural sector of my country and of the whole world.

Sandra Kruger and Marthane Swart are Partners in Kruger, Swart Associates.

We are of those lucky people to have ended up in jobs we love. Jobs that give us joy and purpose and regularly challenges us, but that also give us the opportunity to make real change in how we engage with the development of people and supply chains that form the basis of our food system.

After completing her Mphil in Land and Agrarian Reform, Sandra played a crucial role in Fairtrade International entering the South African landscape. The innovation and context specific support needed in a landscape where sustainable certification was a new concept, led Sandra to start her own consultancy firm. As luck would have it, Marthane, after completing her Political Science Masters in Identity Politics, met Sandra at the party of a mutual friend and became an employee and later a partner in the business. Unbeknown to us we were about to start on one of the great journeys of our lives - working together and thinking together and creating a unique business for working change and contributing to the development of sustainable supply chains in Southern Africa.

Over the past 12 years Kruger Swart & Associates has grown to be a steadfast and innovative business partner to local and international businesses, development agencies and governments. The business is multi-dimensional, and our work includes a wide range of aspects such as standards development, value chain analysis and structuring, training and one of our favourite parts - spending time in field with farmers and businesses co-creating solutions for production and market access.

One of the key learnings from our business is that we cannot work or excel in isolation. The more connected we are, the better we are. So, we have become increasingly involved in the development of whole sectors in South Africa and the region. We facilitate multi-stakeholder processes within and across sectors, in both the national and international sphere to identify cross-cutting themes and build strong platforms and networks supported by passionate and expert peers and partners.

Incredible that FairMatch Support has been with us on our journey since the very early years and we now share a history of 12 years working together. Apart from the exceptional work we have done together, Herman and the team has consistently supported us and thought along with us on the direction of the business (and life in general). We are fortunate to have a partner who is so often at the cutting edge of development and who really see and act on the trends long before they become apparent to others. Looking forward to the next horizon!

Sandra Kruger and Marthane Swart are Partners in Kruger, Swart Associates.

We are of those lucky people to have ended up in jobs we love. Jobs that give us joy and purpose and regularly challenges us, but that also give us the opportunity to make real change in how we engage with the development of people and supply chains that form the basis of our food system.

After completing her Mphil in Land and Agrarian Reform, Sandra played a crucial role in Fairtrade International entering the South African landscape. The innovation and context specific support needed in a landscape where sustainable certification was a new concept, led Sandra to start her own consultancy firm. As luck would have it, Marthane, after completing her Political Science Masters in Identity Politics, met Sandra at the party of a mutual friend and became an employee and later a partner in the business. Unbeknown to us we were about to start on one of the great journeys of our lives - working together and thinking together and creating a unique business for working change and contributing to the development of sustainable supply chains in Southern Africa.

Over the past 12 years Kruger Swart & Associates has grown to be a steadfast and innovative business partner to local and international businesses, development agencies and governments. The business is multi-dimensional, and our work includes a wide range of aspects such as standards development, value chain analysis and structuring, training and one of our favourite parts - spending time in field with farmers and businesses co-creating solutions for production and market access.

One of the key learnings from our business is that we cannot work or excel in isolation. The more connected we are, the better we are. So, we have become increasingly involved in the development of whole sectors in South Africa and the region. We facilitate multi-stakeholder processes within and across sectors, in both the national and international sphere to identify cross-cutting themes and build strong platforms and networks supported by passionate and expert peers and partners.

Incredible that FairMatch Support has been with us on our journey since the very early years and we now share a history of 12 years working together. Apart from the exceptional work we have done together, Herman and the team has consistently supported us and thought along with us on the direction of the business (and life in general). We are fortunate to have a partner who is so often at the cutting edge of development and who really see and act on the trends long before they become apparent to others. Looking forward to the next horizon!

Joyce Gema of Tradecare Africa has collaborated with Fairmatch Support for over 10 years, implementing market led agricultural sector development projects across Eastern Africa. Fairmatch support has a sensible approach to global supply chains development that unlocks markets and value for thousands of farmers. The driving features of relationship building and visibility of transactions and practices by all supply chain partners, allows mature relations to grow and flourish unlocking opportunities for African producers in high value markets.

Tradecare is a local partner to Fairmatch Support having collaborated in various projects in the nuts and horticulture sectors. The global expertise of FairMatch Support jointly with Tradecare’s local knowledge and experience allows for high quality products and services to our supply chain partners.

Joyce: “I founded Tradecare Africa in 2010, having worked in various roles within the horticultural export sector and later as an ethical business manager at Africa Now, a former UK based charity where I was charged with the responsibility of training and developing audit teams across Africa.

I recognise the role that Fairmatch Support has played in the growth and development of Tradecare being our earliest partner organisation which gave us a global platform, increased visibility, reach, global knowledge, and experience”.

Mohamed Fofanah is the founder and managing director of Jula Consultancy Limited.

Jula Consultancy Limited is an agribusiness support organisation, started in 2011 and based in Sierra Leone. The professionals of Jula have experience with certification, studies and agronomic technical services in the agricultural sector for cocoa, coffee, cashew and other crops in Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries. The support services offered are usually tailored towards the needs and relevance for the farmers, private and public sector.

Jula believes that public-private collaboration within the agricultural supply chain could improve the living standard of farmers in many ways. In 2015 during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, Jula alongside FairMatch Support and Wageningen University & Research Netherlands (WUR) started to develop and work on the Digital Farmers Field School (DFFS).  DFFS is an e-learning model that helps to facilitates interaction between farmers in groups and experts in the back office of Jula to improve farming performance as it allows farmers to ask for advice, receive feedback and contact trainers on a tablet.

As an agribusiness support organisation Jula has always ensured that clients - both farmers and the private sector - get an edge that can maximise in depth benefits within their respective value chains.

Daphne Pit is chairperson of the Supervisory Board of FairMatch Support.

After graduation from business school I gained over 15 years’ experience in both corporate and non-corporate organisations in the sustainability sector. I started working at ING Bank and ENECO, energy supplier. However, more and more, I started to look for true added value in my work. After the birth of my 3 children I felt the need to contribute even more to a better world. So I made the transition to the Renewable Energy department of ENECO.

This turned out to be the beginning of a journey for which I’m still grateful. After working at, amongst others, DSM sustainability and the DOEN Foundation, I started my own company ‘Pit Pure Power’; a consultancy and business development boutique, supporting social enterprises and sustainable business. This has given me the opportunity to work with different companies in the Netherlands, Africa and Asia. Either as business mentor, financing specialist or strategic consultant with a strong focus on energy access companies in Africa, as well as on sustainable supply chains.

This broad scope matched with the aim of FairMatch Support; a company that is combining value driven business with a strong commercial understanding, on a truly international level. The strategic approach and aim for true impact is exciting, but also keeps us as Supervisory Board sharp and committed! It has been a pleasure to be on the board for the past years, and I look forward to continuing working with this highly professional and dedicated team.

Aart van den Bos is on the Supervisory Board of FairMatch Support

My name is Aart van den Bos, born and raised in Westland, the Netherlands. I am truly inspired by the Seventh Generation Principle, a native American philosophy. This philosophy states that decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future. When I look at my 3 children, I feel responsible for their future. In my work I strive to achieve social, ecological, and financial returns and I look at the world from a holistic perspective.

As a pioneering entrepreneur in sustainable agribusiness & innovation I founded various companies in different countries across the world. Such as Ecosystem Services Trading Initiative, Soil & More International and Verbos Business Development. I hold an MBA from Rotterdam School of Management and finished courses at Technical University of Delft and University of Berkely-Haas, California.

Since FairMatch Support works according similar principles I accepted the offer to join the Supervisory Board where we work in - and for - a great team of people.

Joke van der Ven is on the Supervisory Board.

My name is Joke van der Ven. I work at Triodos Investment Management on a sustainable agribusiness credit portfolio in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

My interest in finance and entrepreneurship started during field work in Guatemala when I studied at Erasmus University. I learned more about the reality of informal entrepreneurs and saw how finance enabled them to change their reality.

This continued to be the central theme during my career, working under the flag of United Nations in Nigeria and Malawi assisting small enterprises and promoting microfinance, especially for the farmers. Through the years my role has changed from donor to business advisor and finally to investor, helping agribusinesses to establish stable relationships with the thousands of farmers to market their products.

Since 2015 I have been proud to be part of the Supervisory Board of FairMatch Support. I fully concur with FMS’ strong vision that sustainable value chains start with the development of the entrepreneurship of the farmers, helping them to improve the quality and the marketability of their produce.