Executive DirectorUTZ Certified
Han de Groot is Executive Director of UTZ, a programme and label for sustainable agriculture, since 2010.
Han holds a degree in Agricultural Economics and started his career with Novib, (later: Oxfam-Novib) where he was responsible for a,o. their work in East and Southern Africa.
He spent 12 years as a senior civil servant in the Dutch Court of Audit, Ministry of Home Affairs (HR of Civil Service) and the Department of Nature.
His engagement with UTZ certified is his most fulfilling job at a cross- roads of civil society, private sector and public interests so far.
UTZ
In the last decade, UTZ Certified became the largest program and label for the sustainable farming of cocoa and coffee worldwide; where farmers implement good agricultural practices and manage their farms profitably with respect for people and planet.
UTZ is focused on sustainable markets and works together with the largest food-companies in the world providing a scalable and financially sustainable model that is benefiting over half a million farmers, more than 300.000 workers, their families and the environment.
Our expertise lies in our multi-stakeholder approach; mobilizing a powerful coalition of relevant stakeholders to take an active role, while at the same time constantly assessing and fine-tuning our own policies and working methods to have the best possible impact. This is based on a strong vision on how aid and trade should reinforce each other, using markets to achieve sustainable impact at scale.