Ownership
The Soil & More Foundation is owned by its founding members and is governed through a board which appoints the Managing Director of the foundation.
Management
The management tasks are carried out by the Managing Director of the foundation who will also supervise the financial administration and fundraising activities. The Managing Director is initially appointed for one 1 by the board and further on for 3 years or according to the constitution of the foundation. Current Managing Director of the foundation is Tobias Bandel.
After graduating in agricultural sciences at University of Hohenheim, Germany, Tobias Bandel worked as cultivation and export manager for fresh fruits and vegetables at the Sekem Group, Egypt. Apart from his trading activity, he was involved various agribusiness projects in cooperation with the IFC/Worldbank and USAID such as traceability and communication tools to link small-scale farmers to export markets.
Tobias Bandel
After a short employment at EOSTA BV, a Dutch trading company for organic fresh produce as business development manager, Tobias Bandel was co-founder and is since then managing partner of Soil & More International BV, a company worldwide active in the setup and management of large-scale composting sites, emission reduction projects and sustainability footprinting.
Board
It is the board’s responsibility to appoint the Managing Director of the foundation.
Current members of the board are:
Helmy Abouleish, CEO Sekem Group
Helmy Abouleish is Vice Chairman and Managing Director of SEKEM Group in Egypt, a social enterprise with nearly 2000 people in the field of biodynamic agriculture, phyto-pharmaceuticals, organic textiles and organic fast moving consumer goods. Sekem operates at the prime level of the organic market in the world, with a business model that aspires economic excellence through comprehensive and sustainable development.
Volkert Engelsman, CEO EOSTA
Volkert worked for Cargill Inc USA before founding Eosta in 1990. The Dutch company is presently Europe’s largest distributor of organic fresh produce in Europe. All Eosta products carry a unique three digit Nature & More ‘trace & tell’ code that provides consumers with direct web access to the producer and his ecological and social footprint (try code 123 at www.natureandmore.com). Eosta has been awarded with various prizes among which the first prize at the Fresh Top 100 2010 and recently the Innovation Award 2011.
Aart van den Bos (Secretary), Managing Partner Soil & More International BV
Aart van den Bos is co-founder and managing Partner of Soil & More International. His carrier started in finance and consultancy with Senter, a government agency focusing on sustainability, innovation, international business and cooperation. Later Aart joined his family’s international Fruit and Vegetables company until it was sold. As entrepreneur, by then very experienced in bringing parties together to get results by bringing in knowledge on financing, networking and regulatory matters, he started Soil & More, aiming at setting up CO2-emission reduction projects and consultancy for sustainable farming systems in order to stop the loss of soil fertility and promotion of a more sustainable use of the world’s remaining natural resources.
Patrick Holden, Managing Director Sustainable Food Trust
Patrick Holden’s 250 acre mixed hill farm is now the longest established organic dairy farm in Wales, producing a raw milk cheddar style cheese from the milk of 70 Ayrshire cows. Patrick was director of the Soil Association between 1995 and 2010 before stepping down to establish a new organization, The Sustainable Food Trust, which will work to promote increased international cooperation between those working in the field of sustainable agriculture.
Ulrich Walter, CEO Ulrich Walter GmbH
In his search for ecological fine coffee, tea and herbs, biological entrepreneur Walter Ulrich, director of Lebensbaum, travelled to countries as France, Egypt en India. His once small shop has grown into a mid-size company with a business model in which for more than 25 years, farmers and suppliers work towards the customer’s enjoyment and with a large scope on social and ecological responsibility.
Advisory Board
The advisory board’s main task is to support, endorse and promote the foundation and its activities. Current members of the advisory board are