Naturland welcomes the 9th international delegate
Naturland e.V. has a new international delegate: Dr. Thomas Jacob from India. In the vote among the international Naturland members in 2023, Dr. Thomas Jacob won second place behind Franz Bernhofer.
As the number of international members increased in 2023, Naturland’s statutes required more representation and thus the appointment of an additional international delegate. Dr. Thomas Jacob therefore became the nineth international delegate in January 2024.
Dr. Thomas Jacob is an advisor to Peermade Development Society (PDS), an NGO working to empower small and marginal farmers in Kerala which has been a Naturland member for over 15 years. Before this, he was the Head of the Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Research Station of the Kerala Agricultural University, Director of Research of Spices Board of India and Rubber Production Commissioner of the Rubber Board of India. Dr. Thomas Jacob obtained his PhD from the Indian Agriculture Research Institute in New Delhi, and completed a post-doctorate at Bristol University, UK. With more than 40 years of experience in the field of organic agriculture, he works as a technical advisor and trainer for various international organizations.
Dr. Thomas Jacob is a valuable addition to Naturland’s Assembly of Delegates. India is a key region for our association and will be emphasized even more strongly in the coming years with a dedicated strategy. As of 2023, 61 operations in India are members of Naturland. Thereby, a total of over 13.800 Indian farmers and fishers are currently part of the Naturland network, with a total agriculture production area of over 23.600 ha.
There now are nine international delegates representing the interests and concerns of the Naturland members on an honorary basis: Jan Bernhard (Peru), who is the spokesperson for the team, Arvind Narula (Thailand), Patricia Matto (Peru), Nicodemus Bamuhangaine (Uganda), Dr. Ahmed Sief El-Nasr (Egypt), Zeno Piatti-Fünfkirchen (Austria), Mehmet Cetin (Türkiye), Franz Bernhofer (Austria) and Dr. Thomas Jacob (India).
