I’ve gotten to know Rikolto as a member of the Food Lab network, through the strategic learning assessments for both Central America and Latin America where I had the pleasure to meet both regional staff and visit some of the incredible farmer associations that Rikolto is supporting.
I’ve found Rikolto to be one of the few organisations that reflect on their work and are willing to learn. Rikolto shares the same values regarding commitment to being a learning organisation as the Sustainable Food Lab. What I love about the organisation is that it’s a mix between practical work on the field and a robust theoretical foundation. I was also struck by Rikolto's history: I haven't seen many successful mergers between 3 different civil society organisations and this is a testament to their adaptability.
My background is in supply chain management and ethical purchasing, managing cocoa purchasing from 1995-2002 at a US specialty chocolate company and then running my own consulting company to help companies develop ethical sourcing programs. I’ve always worked at the intersection between trade & development, and continue this work in our programme on Agriculture & Development at the Food Lab.
In my role on Rikolto's board, I will bring insights from this US perspective on business, where the dialogue is different to Europe on concepts such as corporate social responsibility and working with NGOs.
I am thrilled to be involved in the debates on the future of smallholder farming and on defining the global strategies for the future.
