Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands
Retired Fair Price Researcher at InfoBridge Foundation (IBF) www.infobridge.org. Publications Book "The Economics of Human Rights: Using the Living Income / Fair Price Approach to Combat Poverty", Palgrave Macmillan 2021 Chapter "Fair-trade coffee: how fair is ‘fair’?" in 'Climate-smart production of coffee: Improving social and environmental sustainability', Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, 2022 Several articles (in: Development in Practice, Sociology and Anthropology, Economic and Political Weekly, Hunger Explained, D+C magazine, World Cocoa Foundation), Reports, IBF papers and Presentations (see Researchgate and Academia) 2008-2020 Fair Price Researcher at InfoBridge Foundation 1996-2007 Consultant 1991-1995 Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), The Hague, the Netherlands Rural Development Policy Advisor/Project Officer, West-Africa Division 1987 1991 Nedworc Foundation • Management / Consultancies 1986 l988 ad-hoc: Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam • Teaching short courses concerning identification of and communication with the target-group 1984 1985 FAO Location: Bamako, Mali • Project analyst in project 'Formation en Analyse de Projets au Sahel’ 1982 1984 FAO Location: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso • Project economist in project 'Formation en Analyse de Projets au Sahel' 1980 1982 World Food Programme (WFP) Location: Rome, Italy • Project Management Officer Sahel-Section Specialties: Fair Price, Rural development, food aid, local purchase, pastoralism, target group analysis, living wage, living income, fair trade, management, monitoring and evaluation, appraisal, identification, formulation, policy
This book provides new insights into combining economic theory and ethics, and how to formulate policies to combat the roots of poverty. Since a large part of the world’s working population is underpaid, and does not have enough income to feed themselves and their families, there is a need for an alternative approach to producer prices than the usual neo-classical approach with its emphasis on market and equilibrium prices. This book is an introduction to the Living Income / Fair Price approach, a price theory based on ethics and Universal Human Rights. The book explains why there is a need for a paradigm change in our thinking about prices by explaining why the usual market prices rarely are equilibrium prices. Besides market disturbing elements like monopolies and oligopolies, the needs of the poorest parts of the population are not taken into consideration because they are not reflected in the effective demand. This means that the way our producers are paid needs a drastic overhaul, especially in a critical area like food production. An important part of the book is devoted to the need to pay, and the possibilities for paying, a decent price to smallholder farmers. The underpayment of small food producers means they have no possibility to invest and are not able to prepare for the future. This is even more pressing now that climate change demands that every farmer must adjust to changing circumstances and adapt new production methods. Although primarily meant for economists, the book meant also to stimulate discussion amongst those involved in agricultural policies, both in developing and developed countries.
Now writing Chapter "Fair-trade coffee: how fair is ‘fair’?" in 'Climate-smart production of coffee: Achieving sustainability and ecosystem services'
Independant consultant and adviser on Rural Development, Food Security, Food aid and Pastoralism
Adviser on rural development projects world-wide. In particular responsible for Dutch financed projects (both bilateral and multilateral) in Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Burkina Faso
• Management • Consultancies