4C Advisory Board
Chairperson
Dr. Rafaël Schneider
Rafaël studied geography at the University of Freiburg i.Br./Germany. As a scientific employee, he specialized on geomorphology and obtained his Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) for his research on human impacts on the geo-biosphere.
He gained extensive experience in rural development through several years of working in West Africa. Rafaël started his career in development cooperation as a senior advisor in a DED-GTZ-Program on rural development in Natitingou (Benin). Then he moved to N’Djaména (Chad) where he took over the sector coordination at the German Development Service (DED).
Today, he works for Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e. V., a private organisation acting in the area of development cooperation and humanitarian aid. As deputy director of the policy division, he addresses development strategies related to global food security, rural development, agriculture and value chains and the Human Right to Food. His engagement for the implementation of the Food Security Standard (FSS) is particularly noteworthy. Rafaël initiated the FSS which is a practical approach to address food security in sustainability certification.
Vice Chairperson
Michael von Luehrte
Michael von Luehrte – currently Secretary General of the SCTA (Swiss Coffee Trade Association) – started his career in commodities 1981 with Jacobs Suchard in Germany/Switzerland and spent four years in Brazil, managing the local Taloca trading and procurement office. After Jacobs Suchard was acquired by Kraft Foods in 1990, Michael worked across different agricultural commodities.
After 25 years in various procurement, market research and risk management roles in Switzerland and the US, Michael joined Noble Group as Global Head of Agricultural Research in 2007 for coffee, cocoa, sugar+ethanol, oilseeds+grains and cotton as an integrated part of the Lausanne/Geneva based trading teams.
After COFCO took over Noble Agri in 2014, Michael helped to set up the Corporate Responsibility function as an additional responsibility. In addition to his current position as Secretary General of SCTA and board member of 4C Services, he is also involved in commodity consultancy projects.
Marcelo Burity
Marcelo Burity has over 20 years of experience in coffee procurement and sustainability as buyer, manager and Global Head of Coffee Procurement at Nestlé.
Since 2015 he is Head of Green Coffee Development for Nestlé Beverages Business and responsible for global coordination of Sustainability, Quality and Research.
Andreas Feige
Andreas Feige holds an M.A. in Mechanical Engineering of the University of Aachen. He has gained management experience in various industrial companies before joining Arthur D. Little Int. Inc. and later Booz Allen Hamilton as a partner.
As Managing Director of ISCC and Meo Carbon Solutions, he worked extensively on the topics of renewable resources with focus on sustainability and deforestation free and fully traceable supply chains.
Currently, he is deeply involved in smallholder development and the implementation of innovative online tools and mobile apps that are applied for proving impact and compliance with sustainability commitments and have the potential to lift smallholder farming practices to a new level. Since 2018 Andreas is also a board member of 4C Services.
Dr. Jan Michael Henke
Jan has studied International Economics at the University of Tübingen in Germany. He has worked for four years at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in the research area of environmental and resource economics. During that time he also acquired his Ph.D. from the University of Potsdam in Germany. After that, he joined Meo Carbon Solutions, a management consultancy focusing on renewable resources, sustainability, climate change, greenhouse gas emission calculations, and sustainability certification.
While working with Meo, Jan was involved from the beginning in the development of GRAS Global Risk Assessment Services where he acts as Managing Director and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification).
Jan is working on topics of renewable resources, sustainability, renewable energies, climate change, land use and land use change, greenhouse gas calculations, and certification. The regional focus of Jan’s work is Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Nhung Ngoc Ly
Nhung has over 25 years of experience in the coffee industry as a representative and broker for global clients on sourcing physical coffee and managing logistics network in Vietnam and its neighboring countries. She is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of ComCo Trading Co Ltd since 2001.
Since January 2015, she spearheaded Vietnam’s transition into the next phase of coffee consumption by being the leading and quality supplier of imported specialty coffee for the domestic market, under the brand Les Monts by ComCo.
Her focus is on developing organisational strategic frameworks, managing local supply chains, and building long-term industry relationships.
José Sette
José Sette has over 40 years of experience in international trade and associated matters. He was the Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) from May 2017 until his retirement in 2021. Before rejoining the ICO, José was the Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Council (ICAC) from January 2014 to April 2017. He served previously in the ICO as the Executive Director ad interim from November 2010 to November 2011, and the Head of Operations from November 2007 to December 2012.
José has an MBA with a major in finance from American University in Washington, DC, and a BA in Administrative Science from Yale University.
Dr. Jennifer Wiegel
Jennifer (Jenny) Wiegel has a PhD and MSc in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in the sociology of agri-food systems in the developing world. Jenny has gained extensive experience in rural agricultural development through 20 years as a development practitioner and researcher with a focus on Central America.
In 2017 she joined the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), now the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, to lead their work in Central America. Currently based in Nicaragua, Jenny holds a joint position dedicating her time to strategic leadership and research as well as outreach on issues related to coffee and cocoa value chains, climate change impact and market systems.
Le Duc Huy
With over 15 years of experience in the Vietnamese coffee sector, Le Duc Huy is leading one of the country’s largest coffee exporting companies managing a network of 40,000 producers and overseeing the export of 130,000 tons of coffee annually.
His expertise in the industry is further demonstrated through his role as Vice Chairman of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Dak Lak Province Business Association.
Carolina Castaneda
Carolina Castaneda brings over 20 years of experience in the coffee industry. Having joined FNC in 2006, she has held various roles, including financial risk management in Bogotá and green coffee sales in New York.
Since 2016, she is serving as the Director Europe in Amsterdam, where she oversees commercial relationships with FNC’s customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Carolina’s expertise spans negotiation, green coffee sales, international cooperation, regulatory frameworks, and sustainability.
Dr. Sarada Krishnan
With an extensive academic background in horticulture and coffee genetics, Dr. Sarada Krishnan’s expertise contributes significantly to the sector’s sustainable development.
Having owned a coffee plantation in Jamaica, her hands-on experience is invaluable.
Additionally, as a founding member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) in Jamaica and former Executive Director, she has played a pivotal role in advocating gender equality within the coffee community.
Sheaian Lee
Sheaian Lee brings over 10 years of experience in sustainable development within global agricultural commodity supply chains, with a focus on tea and coffee. With a comprehensive understanding across all levels of the value chain, Sheaian has collaborated with producers, retailers and roasters.
Since 2019, Sheaian has been leading Touton’s coffee and ingredients sustainability activities, focusing on key coffee supply chains and projects in the East Africa region.