- 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.