“In the context of an expanding world population and fast adoption of advanced technologies in agribusiness, it is inevitable that the poorer regions modernize their agri-food sector. Improvement in quality and productivity require openness to technological and social innovations at all stages of the value chain: in farming, in agribusiness, and in the related service sector. My personal drive is to promote fairness and sustainability in this transformation process, and particularly the inclusion of the young generation.”
Jeroen has worked as consultant for Dutch and international organizations on issues involving all stages of food value chains, ranging from technological changes in biotechnology and the seeds industry, to changes in the procurement strategies of supermarkets. More recently, he participated in research projects that focused on the conditions under which the support for global sustainability standards could be improved along the entire value chain.
Jeroen has been teaching ‘international business’, ‘corporate social responsibility’, and ‘qualitative research methodology’ at several academic institutions in the Netherlands and around the world. He received his PhD degree at the University of Amsterdam, with a thesis on how biotechnology changed the seeds industry in Latin America.
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