Profile

Mark van Dorp is an economist with over 15 years of experience in the field of natural resource management, peace building and sustainable economic development. He has worked for various organisations in Africa, in projects funded by the European Union, UNDP and the Dutch Government, among others in Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Gabon, Mali and Liberia.

Van Dorp is specialized in building bridges between different stakeholders in sustainable economic development, peace building and humanitarian aid. He has wide experience in building partnerships between local stakeholders in the South and companies and NGOs in the North, in search of economic empowerment as a sustainable solution to the multiple problems that post-conflict societies are facing in the rehabilitation phase. He is an expert in the field of value chain analysis of natural products and commodities, including tropical fruits, biofuels, bushmeat, timber, palm oil, coffee and cocoa. Van Dorp has extensive experience in the field of capacity strengthening of local and international NGO staff and researchers. The relationship between environment and conflict is a central theme to most of his work. Van Dorp has published numerous reports and articles and provides lectures, trainings and workshops.

Before starting DUVILLA in 2008, Van Dorp has worked for Dutch consultancy firm Aidenvironment, for ICRAF (World Agroforestry Center), and for ICCO, a Dutch development organization. In the past, he has carried out consultancy assignmentsin the field of environmental economics, natural resource management, forestry and biodiversity for WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, CARPE/USAID and various Dutch Ministries.

Van Dorp is fluent in English and French and has a good working knowledge of Portuguese. He has an extensive network, both in Europe and in Africa. Van Dorp is a member of the Dutch Working Group of Ecology and Development, an independent group of experts. He is also member of Nedworc Association and the Support Group Water and Environment of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.