aidenvironment

Jan Willem Molenaar has a background in Business Economics and Cultural Anthropology. Between 2004 and 2007 he worked for SNV Netherlands Development Organization in Cameroon as advisor in organizational strengthening and market chain development. In 2007, Jan Willem joined Aidenvironment to work on agro-commodity and corporate social responsibility related assignments. He acquired expertise in the field of bio-energy and sustainability certification systems and developed a special interest in sustainable business development and small-scale producers. He has regularly undertaken missions in Africa and Asia.

Projects Jan Willem is involved in

Since 2003 Aidenvironment has been managing the Programme on Sustainable Soy and Palm Oil (PSSP) on behalf of the Dutch DOEN Foundation. The main objective of the PSSP is to improve sustainability in the palm oil and soy sector for the benefit of nature conservation and socio-economic development of small-scale producers and local communities. Over the years Aidenvironment has developed a broad network of civil society organizations and frontrunning companies, working together to meet the programme’s objective. Aidenvironment facilitates the preparation of funding proposals, monitors the progress of the financed initiatives, measures impact and is responsible for the overall communication with partners. Aidenvironment also provides extra technical and/or organizational assistance where needed. At program level, Aidenvironment assisted DOEN in redesigning the program strategy and impact monitoring.

PSSP projects on soy are located in South America (mainly Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay). Its palm oil-related projects are located in Southeast Asia (mainly Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea). By early 2011, some 90 projects operated by 50 partners have enjoyed support under the program.

www.doen.nl/pss

Indigenous peoples that are largely dependent on their natural environment for their livelihood are being hard hit by the increasing exploitation of natural resources to satisfy rising global economic demands and the many negative impacts this has on the high biodiversity of their territories.
This study is the first to systematically research and verify the suspected impact of the Dutch economy on the territories and well-being of indigenous peoples. Instigated by the Netherlands Centre for Indigenous People (NCIV), the study identifies and researches the most relevant sectors of the Dutch economy affecting indigenous peoples.
In support of this work, Aidenvironment conducted two case studies in Indonesia (one on timber and one on palm oil). To assess the challenges and opportunities for protecting the livelihoods and well-being of indigenous peoples vis a vis selected economic activities, the case studies take a look at both good and bad practices. In addition, Aidenvironment produced maps charting the production areas and indigenous territories.

www.indigenouspeoples.nl/images/stories/NieuwNCIV_MVO_Rapport_def_LR1.pdf

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)has teamed up with partners in an initiative to ensure that rice, one of the world’s major food crops, is produced in ways that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible, while boosting yields for both commercial and subsistence farmers.

The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), an initiative of UNEP, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Aidenvironment, Louis Dreyfus Commodities and Kellogg Company, will promote the use of technologies and improved rice farming practices for better harvest, while keeping the environment healthy.

It will also facilitate safer working conditions and higher incomes to alleviate poverty and enhance food security.

At the inaugural meeting of the Platform at IRRI’s headquarters in the Philippines held on 29-30 November 2011, government representatives from Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam and Myanmar, international and Asia-based companies and non-government organizations (NGOs) expressed their support and interest in the initiative.

“The Sustainable Rice Platform provides opportunities for promoting resource use efficiency and sustainable trade flows throughout the value chain of the global rice sector and deliver real results to the lives of rice farmers,” said James Lomax, the UNEP Programme Officer for Agriculture and Food, who together with Aidenvironment, initiated the Sustainable
Rice Platform.

Workshop participants established an SRP governance structure and technical working groups with output targets and roadmaps for the coming years. Over the next 2 years, the SRP will develop and promote a set of globally relevant principles (standards) and best practices for sustainable rice production; develop and
promote quantifiable sustainability targets (criteria and indicators) that suit a variety of agricultural, social and environmental conditions; develop and promote a set of decision-support systems (such as field or footprint calculators) for assessment of rice production practices against an array of biophysical, socio-economic and environmental performance indicators; and promote the adoption of the developed principles, best practices, and targets by rice producers and participants in the whole rice value chain.

The SRP founding members are private sector companies Kellogg’s, Mars Foods, and Louis Dreyfus; and the Asian Institute of Technology/CIRAD. Other participants in the launch were representatives from Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia; CropLife Asia, Syngenta, DuPont Crop protection,Jolibee Foods Corporation, AidEnvironment, and the German International Cooperation (GIZ). Rice presents a unique challenge for any quality control system because it is mostly grown by hundreds of thousands of poor farmers who have only very small farms of less than one hectare each. Moreover, 90 per cent of rice is grown in developing countries in Asia where access to knowledge and support is limited.

The Platform will encourage national agricultural departments to explore and test management practices to make them relevant and to promote them to rice farmers. NGOs and companies will assist in developing sustainability criteria to safeguard or improve environmental health.

Rice farmers, as well as production, processing or trade organizations and businesses, will use the Platform to secure a sustainable rice system and explore incentive mechanisms for farmers to grow rice more sustainably.

www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40603&Cr=unep&Cr1=

As sustainability standard systems seek to step up the supply and collective impact of certified products, they are increasingly challenged to reach out to producers who are less organized or organized in other types of group models. To help producers make the transition to suitable models, Aidenvironment conducted a study for the ISEAL Alliance which identifies and describes different models of producer groups in the agricultural and forestry sector. Each model is described according to different variables, such as governance system, human and financial capacity, service delivery and business orientation. Special attention is paid to how certification works in each model. The report is illustrated with a selection of case studies of different types producer groups that have been certified or are in the process of certification.

Growing concern about sustainability issues and CSR strategies has created a demand for sustainability programs for new products. For some years UTZ CERTIFIED has been rolling out a successful program in coffee, followed by cocoa and tea. For palm oil and cotton it provides the track and trace system for existing standards. Several stakeholders have expressed an interest in working with UTZ CERTIFIED on new products. These developments require UTZ CERTIFIED to position itself and decide on a strategy for future expansion into new commodities. To gain a fuller grasp of the potential of new products, UTZ CERTIFIED has asked Aidenvironment to carry out a feasibility study for 34 products.

www.utzcertified.org

Photograph Diligent Tanzania.

www.isealalliance.org

Oxfam Novib has been active in the palm oil sector in an effort to strengthen the rights and ivelihoods of local indigenous communities, smallholders and male and female laborers working in the palm oil industry or affected by it in Indonesia and other palm oil producing countries.
Since 2006, Oxfam Novib has been played an increasingly active role in the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). It is a member of the Executive Board and several working groups. Outside the RSPO,Oxfam Novib is a rigorous campaigner against unsustainable production practices and helps local organizations secure rights for local communities by promoting local empowerment.
Over the past few months, Aidenvironment has supported Oxfam Novib in its RSPO activities, in particular, its work for the Task Force on Smallholders which is co-lead by Oxfam Novib.

ICCO/Churches in Action (CiA) requested assistance and guidance in defining its programmatic and policy position in the discussions on forest and climate issues with a focus on REDD+, voluntary carbon markets, Payments for Environmental Services and climate adaptation. To this end, Aidenvironment wrote a report defining current status and trends in climate and forest issues, analysis of external key actors, institutional analysis of ICCO/CiA and definition of strategic options.

FairClimate is a joint program of ICCO and Churches in Action (CiA) that supports mitigation and adaptation activities in the South. Aidenvironment compiled an inventory of relevant funding opportunities for the program, on the issue of renewable energy, forests and climate and climate adaptation. We also delivered strategic advice on how to approach donors.

Senior Consultant

Marina d´Engelbronner (PhD, LLM) is an expert in the people component of sustainable development and human rights, most notably in African countries. For almost 10 years, she has been involved in corporate social responsibility and its implementation within the corporate, civil society and public sectors. Marina conducts social and human rights impact assessments of public infrastructure projects and private investments in Africa, Asia and Latin America, focusing on working conditions, land rights, community issues and inclusive development.

Executive Director

Peter de Haan is the Executive Director of Aidenvironment and an experienced team leader with a strong background in program preparation and reviews. He is an agricultural economist with over 25 years' experience in Asia, Africa and, to a lesser extent, in Latin America. He specializes in issues related to environmental and social aspects of development, natural resources management, delivery of social services, organizational and institutional development as well as policy and strategy development.

Senior Consultant

Jan Joost Kessler acquired his Dororate Degree on the subject of integrating sustainability into planning processes. Jan Joost has practical experiences mainly in the fields of environmental assessment, sustainable development strategies, facilitation of participatory processes. Most of his work entails helping organizations take account of sustainability issues in their policy cycle, with programs on mainstreaming environment and organizational frameworks. More recently he has been involved in the design of certification standards and development of implementation tools.

Commercial Director

Following a 14-year career as Senior Vice President in structured finance and corporate social responsibility with ABN AMRO Bank, in 2007 Frederik Claasen joined Aidenvironment as a senior consultant. He set up the Micro Water Facility where his activities as Director include compiling business plans, building public private partnerships and securing financial means for a portfolio of 11 projects and businesses. Frederik advises governments, NGOs and businesses on public-private partner strategies. In 2009 Frederik set up the Aidenvironment Asia representative office in Bogor, Indonesia. In 2010 he was appointed Commercial Director of Aidenvironment.

Senior Consultant

Annemieke Beekmans has a background in social cultural science. From 1996 to 2008 she worked in Latin America and Africa, advising NGOs and the public and private sector on poverty reduction through sustainable investment and sourcing. In 2009, Annemieke joined Aidenvironment to work on sustainable value chain development, agro-commodities and corporate social responsibility related assignments.

Consultant

Lenneke Braam acquired a Master's Degree in Environmental Science. Determined to convince corporations of the need to take more environmentally sound business decisions, Lenneke gave up a successful and business-oriented career to devote herself to environmental consultancy. In September 2010 Lenneke joined Aidenvironment where she is responsible for the acquisition and execution of consultancy trajectories in the field of sustainable supply chain development and sustainable business development.

Consultant

Marijke van Kuijk obtained a Doctorate Degree from Utrecht University on the topic of tropical forest regeneration and restoration. Marijke has worked on a number of national and international assignments, both as a researcher and as a consultant. She has knowledge of the certification, management, ecology and conservation of forests as well as biodiversity, most notably in the Tropics. Currently, she focuses on the role of forests and carbon in relation to climate change.

Consultant

Meri Persch-Orth completed her Master's Degree in Tropical Forestry and Management in 2009. She studied the socio-economic and environmental impacts of large-scale oil palm plantations on local communities in Indonesia. Her expertise extends to agrofuels, agroforestry, social sciences certification, and most recently mining.

Senior Consultant

Wilbert van Rooij has worked as a (tropical) forestry, GIS and remote sensing specialist for the past 18 years. His experience includes river basin projects in Ethiopia and a GIS project in Malaysia. Over the last 4 years Wilbert has specialized in biodiversity modeling. From 2006 to 2010 he worked for the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Organization where he was responsible for several capacity building projects that focused on biodiversity modeling. In March 2010 he joined Aidenvironment where he continues his work as biodiversity modeling consultant.

Consultant

Paulo Moraes graduated from Milton Campos University Law School in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 1984 with a Bachelor in Law with a specialization in international commerce. He has extensive experience in the international trade of Latin American food commodities and has conducted several studies on social environmental development programs in South America. Paulo has field experience in developing countries in partnership with a number of international organizations and local and central governments in various areas of organizational development and project structure.

Office Manager

Mars Aubri, Office Manager. Joined Aidenvironment in 2004.
Prior to that, Mars worked for the Autoriteit Financiele Markten and for various law firms.

Financial Expert, Head Business Support

Head of the Business Support Unit, Erik Hutter manages Aidenvironment's financial affairs.

Senior Consultant

Since 1997 Eric Wakker has acquired, executed and coordinated numerous consultancy projects relating to natural resource management and trade, with a focus on the forestry, plantation and agricultural sectors in Southeast Asia. He developed the resource trade cycle model, which demonstrates how actors at different levels influence the market chain of major global agro-commodities. His areas of expertise are research, strategy development, multi-stakeholder dialogue, risk assessment and project cycle management. Eric Wakker has represented Aidenvironment in Southeast Asia since 2005, and currently heads the Aidenvironment Asia.

Consultant

Adriani Zakaria has worked as a campaigner, researcher and auditor, the mainstay of his work being associated with the palm oil sector in Indonesia. He has extensive experience with field work and working with local communities, local NGOs, as well as with the media, judicial institutions, government and parliament. He has expertise in legal and policy analysis, satellite imagery and advocacy work.

Consultant

Betty Tiominar completed her Bachelor of Law Degree in 2002. During her studies she worked with indigenous people in South Kalimantan, focusing on empowerment of the Dayak community in customary (adat) law. Also in her work for Down to Earth she continued to support minority indigenous people in their struggle for rights to natural resources with research and advocacy. She has considerable in-depth experience with indigenous people, forestry, pulp and paper industry, and oil palm plantation development.

Director Aidenvironment Asia

Alfan Subekti joined Aidenvironment in May 2011 as Director of the Aidenvironment Asia branch In Bogor, Indonesia.

Alfan is responsible for managing the Asia team, new business and maintaining the firm’s operations and extensive network in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia. With his five team members, Alfan is resolved to flag and expand the presence of Aidenvironment Asia over the next few years.

A native of rural Kalimantan and academically trained in both Indonesia and The Netherlands, Alfan has more than 15 years’ experience with international organizations and NGOs, including The Nature Conservancy, Tropenbos, GTZ and Jaakko Poyre Consulting. His field expertise embraces forest and environmental management, including social development and climate change.

With The Nature Conservancy, he was involved in developing a district based REDD+ demonstration area in East Kalimantan, one of 40 REDD+ demonstration projects in Indonesia. Good forest and environmental governance is one of his main areas of field expertise, with the focus on institutional strengthening and the capacity building of stakeholders at district, provincial and national level.

As Aidenvironment Asia rapidly branches out into a wider range of commodities and environmental issues including climate change and land use planning, Alfan’s immediate priorities are to build a strong team and broaden Aidenvironment Asia’s network to include partners not only from the private sector and NGOs but local (district and provincial) government and communities as well.

Alfan is married and has two small children.

Alfan can be reached at the Aidenvironment Asia office at 25, Jalan Sempur Kaler, Bogor 16129, Indonesia, on +622518341934 or by e-mail.

Acquisitions Coordinator

Eunice Bussink is an experienced coordinator of acquisition in the fields of sustainable economic development, governance, gender, health and biomedical research. At the Business Development Department of KIT - Royal Tropical Institute she advised on acquisition strategy, feasibility and eligibility of tenders and grants and supported proposal preparation; at KIT Biomedical Research she organized acquisition and was responsible for screening, contract negotiation and handling. She maintains a broad network of partner organizations and consultants. After years of increasingly targeting health projects, in 2011 she joined Aidenvironment where she enjoys the focus on sustainability and environmental issues.

Before her career in acquisition she studied German and French, travelled through Africa and Asia and worked in the cultural sector, at the Multi Media Centre of the Melkweg and as Front of House Manager at KIT’s Tropical Theatre.

Consultant

Pim Pelders has a background in forest and nature conservation and international development studies. He has worked in rural development projects in Cameroon and Nicaragua, focusing on the capacity building of smallholders. Recently, Pim conducted a number of consultancy assignments on sustainable cocoa for societal organizations in The Netherlands. In June 2011 Pim joined Aidenvironment as a Consultant.

Finance and Administration Officer

With a degree in Business and Administration and 15 years experience in corporate acccounting and adminstration, Reinie Sigar supports Aidenvironment Asia as Finance and Administration Officer.

Consultant

David Thelen joined Aidenvironment in April 2012 where he is involved in projects relating to sustainable value chains. He brings to the firm a unique blend of experience with value chain analysis, stakeholder management and communication issues in the area of agricultural commodities. David holds a Master's degree in Bioprocess Technology in 2006 from Wageningen University. Prior to joining Aidenvironment he worked for the communication consultancy Schuttelaar & Partners in the business unit Technology and Society, combining his scientific background with communication expertise.

Consultant

Yusuf Rahadian joined Aidenvironment Asia in April 2012. Yusuf has a background in forest management, and specializes in Remote Sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). From 2008 to 2011 Yusuf worked on several projects in which he applied RS and GIS technologies to develop spatial models for the sustainable management of natural resources. These models were used for policy analysis and implementation at national level in Indonesia.