Eric Schmidt is specialist in food systems, livelihood, rural and urban economic development, and project management.

With a strong background in agronomy and development sciences, Eric has effectively bridged the gap between science and humanitarian outcomes by focusing on rural development under tropical and sub-tropical conditions.

Eric’s extensive experience of nearly 40 years encompass food systems, food security, farm mechanization, natural resource management, value chain development for various crops, livestock, and natural resource management in a livelihoods context in W-C-E and Southern Africa, MENA, South America, and the Far East.

He possesses the skills to develop and successfully manage multimillion-dollar projects aimed at enhancing income generation activities for diverse clients, ranging from public-private partnerships to commercial and subsistence farmers in humanitarian settings.

His working experiences include Arcadis-Euroconsult, Fine Chemicals, ICI, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Perdue University, World Vision International and has been associated in a number of food security projects with FAO-UN and WFP.

Eric holds a double B.Sc. Hon. degree in tropical and sub-tropical agriculture from the  University of Larenstein the Netherlands, and in rural development and agricultural extension from the University Pretoria in South Africa.