TASTE STAFF
Introducing our staff
Every staff member comes from a unique educational and career background. Get to know about the people behind TASTE by reading their introduction.
Introducing our staff
Every staff member comes from a unique educational and career background. Get to know about the people behind TASTE by reading their introduction.
TASTE
Koopliedenweg 10
P.O. Box 55
2990 AB Barendrecht
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)180 642 500
E-mail: info@fairtaste.nl
Koopliedenweg 10
P.O. Box 55
2990 AB Barendrecht
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)180 642 500
E-mail: info@fairtaste.nl
Luuk has a background in technology policy and has been active in the area of development co-operation and private sector development for over twenty years. He worked with NUFFIC, DGIS and Plan in The Netherlands. Luuk lived in Tanzania and Zimbabwe for nine years and for three years in Vietnam. In the two last mentioned countries as country director of SNV. Luuk says: “with TASTE we can assist farmers and their families to direct their own future. TASTE can act as a catalyst between producer organizations and market options, and can give farmers the opportunity to get a proper income.” Luuk is interested in new opportunities and partnerships for TASTE that can up-scale sustainable trade opportunities for rural communities.
Luuk Boon - Director
Maria Oliveira - Fairtrade business development expert
Maria studied Agronomy and comes from a long background in farming. Having previously worked in Portugal and Spain in several horticultural farms, she has gained the insight knowledge on implementation of Good Agricultural Practices, soil fertility management, sustainable natural resource management and integrated agricultural production systems. Within her farming background she was also responsible for Quality Assurance across the production system and implementation and compliance with several certifications schemes. Her expertise lies in developing sustainable performance, with improved yields and productivity, while ensuring high quality outcomes and compliance with market standards and specifications. Maria takes a practical approach to dissecting problems and structuring a solution, and she strongly believes that sustainable agricultural development plays a key role in poverty alleviation.
Wim Spieringhs - Fairtrade business development expert
Wim studied Tropical Agriculture at the International Agricultural College Larenstein in Deventer the Netherlands. Wim has extensive experience with Agricultural Rural Development in Africa and Asia. As a director of a development program in Burkina Faso he coordinated an agricultural information system for communities. On behalf of SNV Development Organizations, Wim lived in Vietnam for two years. There he assisted the Agricultural Extension Station of Tua Chua by developing new research methods for agriculture and rural development. The pilot project was introduced on a national level and supported by EU. For CORDAID he was responsible developing a financial policy for the region of Africa and South Africa. Being Fairtrade expert for TASTE, Wim is specialised in ethical trade of fruit and vegetables from Africa and Asia.
Luud Clercx - Fairtrade business development expert
Luud studied Anthropology and Economy at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. He lived and worked over twenty years in Latin America. He was external advisor for the Nicaraguan Ministry of Agricultural Development and Land Reform. He was also active as a regional development expert of DGIS for the Regional Government of the South Atlantic Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. During 1992-1993 and 2000-2006, Luud was researcher and senior consultant at the Centre for Rural Development Studies (CDR), based in Costa Rica. During his career, Luud built up a broad experience in rural development issues, such as territorial development, business development of organised farmers and agricultural economy, in Central American and Andean countries. In June 2006, Luud joined the TASTE team; in fact, his first job being stationed in the Netherlands. Luud is responsible for TASTE activities in Central and South America and for the development of a broad “carbon agenda” in the Fairtrade fruit supply chains (carbon footprints, consequences of climate change for farmers and opportunities for carbon credit projects).
Diana Holubova - Financial Controller
Diana was born in Bulgaria. After Diana gets her diploma in Economics, she starts working as a financial project manager for non-profit environmental organizations such as Friends of the Earth and Bankwatch in Bulgaria and Czech republic. Her interest in environmental and social issues leads her to study further and that brings her to the Netherlands where she graduates Master in Environmental Science in Wageningen University. Her passion for Fairtrade goes hand in hand with that for the Environmental Science. Therefore she is very happy to work in TASTE which she sees as a flexible and progressive organization.
luuk.boon@fairtaste.nl
maria.oliveira@fairtaste.nl
wim.spieringhs@fairtaste.nl
luud.clercx@fairtaste.nl
diana.holubova@fairtaste.nl