Get to know the thought leaders sharing their insights at the Future Food Systems event (25-26 January, Online | 2 March, London) in our dedicated speaker interview series.
Independent Forums: What is your favorite food? Marjan de Bock-Smit: Pasta
Independent Forums: Who or what has inspired you this year and why? Marjan de Bock-Smit: My customers because they are so deeply involved in making a difference.
Independent Forums: What is your biggest source of motivation?
Marjan de Bock-Smit: The insight that companies with leverage can truly change the lives of people and improve the circumstances on our planet. I am determined to give them the knowledge, tools and data to allow them to do that.
Independent Forums: How would you describe a typical day?
Marjan de Bock-Smit: Listening to our staff and customers in several calls a day, innovation sessions with IT staff and the daily conversation with my business partner Leontien.
Independent Forums: What’s one thing about you that most people don’t know?
Marjan de Bock-Smit: That I can be very lazy if the work is done and the pressure is off, something that is rare...
Independent Forums: What’s one thing about your organization that you wish more people knew?
Marjan de Bock-Smit: That we truly put Impact first and that we see technology as a means to an end.
Independent Forums: Where do you see the biggest opportunity for transformation within the food system?
Marjan de Bock-Smit: If we can identify the individual smallholders and provide them with a (True-code.org) facility passport then we can finally work on improving the situation of (small holder) farmers that are now “protected” by traders and cooperatives. We have to respect the fact that traders and cooperatives want to protect their sources, but we also will need to go beyond them. The majority of the sustainability issues are in the first mile of our international supply chains: we need to get to this first mile and get reliable data.
Independent Forums: What are you most looking forward to at Future Food Systems 2022?
Marjan de Bock-Smit: To work with likeminded professionals and get their support to be more effective in the execution of all our plans. We need to bring the “rubber to the road”.
Marjan will be speaking in the 'Innovating at Pace to Build Supply Chain Resilience' session on 25 January 2022.
Register here to join the conversation.