Sjaak de BlooisModerator
Sjaak de Bloois is a sustainability strategist and agronomy expert dedicated to transforming East Africa’s agricultural systems. As Director for East Africa at FairFood, he leads regional efforts to build traceable, profitable, and climate-resilient value chains, particularly in coffee and bamboo. His work focuses on empowering farmers through data, regenerative practices, and collaborative innovation across the supply chain.
Previously, Sjaak served as Head of Sustainability and Agronomy at UGACOF (Sucafina), one of Uganda’s largest coffee exporters, where he implemented large-scale interventions to improve soil health, farmer incomes, and environmental outcomes. These included pioneering the use of black soldier fly compost for organic fertilisation, establishing high-yield clonal nurseries, and launching digital farmer tools to enhance traceability and agronomic support.
Sjaak also chairs the board of Bamboo Uganda, where he promotes the industrialisation of bamboo through agroforestry and sustainable land-use practices. His integrated coffee–bamboo demonstration farm serves as a model for circular, climate-smart agriculture in the region.
With a strong academic foundation in agronomy and over a decade of experience in East Africa, Sjaak is a frequent contributor to trade missions, agricultural forums, and investment roundtables. His expertise spans regenerative farming, sustainable sourcing, digital agriculture, and farmer-centric development models.
