WHO
DIRK DE JAGER
I started my career in 1989 as project leader for an alliance of local trade unions, farmers’ organisations, international research agencies and the international trade union IUF. My brief was to strengthen the position of plantation workers and small farmers in the cocoa industry. In four years’ time I worked in Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malay, Hungary and the US. My work formed the starting point for the production of Fair Trade chocolate.
In 1993 I became project leader for the European trade union EFC-IUF. I travelled to nearly all EU countries to advise on the development of European work councils at multinationals in the food industry.
After seven years abroad, I relocated to Amsterdam in 1996 to work as an executive at the Dutch trade union FNV in Amsterdam.
From 2002 to 2014 I worked as Deputy Mayor in the Amsterdam West District, responsible for transport, public space, sustainability and the development of two residential areas. In that period I created room for cyclists, pedestrians, children and flora.
In 2014 I started Sustainable Solutions because I believe in approaching the human aspect in relation tourban development including public space an. From 2018 till 2022 I was Deputy Mayor in the Amsterdam SouthEast district responsible for Urban development including mobility and Energy transition. Since autumn 2022 again Im active with Sustainable Solutions with a focus on the introduction of bicycles as a regular sustainable mode of transport in cities. We are active in India and Turkya. The central thought in my work is that improvements in the physical environment always affect social conditions. Think globally, act locally. Feel locally, act globally.
