Jeroen Kruft

Jeroen Kruft (Arnhem, 1969) lived in the Netherlands, Tanzania, Jamaica and Indonesia before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Physics at Macalester College, St. Paul, USA. After graduation, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he worked as a musician, teacher, and environmentalist. Jeroen recorded acid jazz and salsa albums and directed various musical groups. His passion for nature and development economics led him to obtain a Masters degree in “Agro-ecological Knowledge and Social Change” at Wageningen University, Netherlands. During his studies, he started Amigos International, with the objective to develop and market fair and organic products from Southern countries, with a focus on added value: by supporting local brands or doing the processing as much as possible in the country of origin. Amigos International’s products (e.g. coffee, energy bars, chocolate, palm sugar, superfoods) can be found in organic and delicatessen stores across Europe. In addition, Jeroen has carried out consultancies for SHGW, Agriterra and CBI in the field of M&E, product and business development and export promotion, mostly in the area of coffee and cacao. It has taken him to more than fifty agricultural associations and grassroots organizations in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. When not in an airplane or visiting farmers organisations, Jeroen can be found in Wageningen with his girlfriend Maricela and their five year old daughter Ananda or playing with his current band Groove Barrio!