Experience
I have a background in cultural anthropology with more than 40+ years of experience in international development cooperation (especially rural development in Bolivia) and sustainability. For many years, I facilitated and coordinated the global NGO community to realise their active engagement in United Nations processes on Sustainable Development and Environment. For that reason, I was heavily involved at and in the preparations of the Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 (Johannesburg), at Rio+20 in 2012 (Rio de Janeiro), and in the development of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals. I was the European Focal Point for civil society in Europe in the 10-year Framework on Sustainable Consumption and Production (UNEP). Additionally, I was the representative for the Environmental NGOs at the OECD until 2016. At UNEA2 (2016) and UNEA3 (2017), I co-chaired the Major Group Facilitating Committee and functioned as the main contact for UNEA and member states for the civil society groups.
I established the World Federation for Animals (WFA) as a freelance Chief Strategy Officer and in May 2022 I was appointed as CEO of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) , where I left in August 2025. In September 2025 I started as Director of ECOLISE.
In 2023 I became the President of the Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht) of the Dutch NGO Both ENDS, in 2025 I joined the Board of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.
After many voluntary jobs as an activist (peace movement, fair trade shop, political party, Latin America center, etc.), I started my (paid) career by being responsible in a Flemish NGO for the rural programs they financed in Bolivia. As I was more convinced by the concept of sustainable development (SD), I became the coordinator of a Flemish network on SD (VODO), where I started to build bridges between the different sectoral movements, simultaneously coordinating an international think-tank on ecological debt and environmental justice. After 8 years, I became Executive Director of ANPED, the Northern Alliance for Sustainability, and found my way to the UN processes. In 2015 ANPED merged with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), where I became Director of the new integrated team on Global Policies and Sustainability. In September 2016 I started working at Friends of the Earth Europe on Resource Justice and Sustainability. During these same years, I initiated a broad alliance of civil society organisations, SDG Watch Europe. I was also a member of the Stakeholder Platform on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, chaired by EU Vice President Frans Timmermans.
I was a member of the High-Level Steering Group of the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials and am a member of the Advisory Committee of Future Earth (international think-tank) as well as a member of the SSCP group, working on macro-economics. I am also a full member of the Club of Rome-EU Chapter.
Since April 2018 I have worked as a freelance senior advisor and created LeapFrog2SD, a consultancy firm to achieve system change and (strong) sustainability on a global scale.
I always combine scientific research work, activists’ approaches, field experiences, and policy work. I have written many articles and chapters of books on strong sustainability. Also, I speak fluent Dutch, English and Spanish.
or check my profile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leida-rijnhout-b5258a5/