Organic consultancy firm Timeli believes in the organic movement’s power to change. As a bridge builder, the agency contributes to the connection between the organic social movement, the organic market and society. Timeli considers a transition to a new (food) system absolutely necessary.
Timeli's founder is Ronald van Marlen (1965). Ronald personifies Timeli in his very own manner, and acts as an advisor, trainer, teacher or activist, depending on the situation. Always with passion, fire, well-informed, analyzing, stimulating, asking questions, stirring up, energetic, honest and sincere. His specialty is placing the organic market and movement in a historical-sociological context. He analyzes current events from this perspective. His favorite subject is the consolidation of organic pioneers by major food multinationals.
Ronald has been working in the organic sector and involved in the organic movement for thirty years. He worked in marketing at Natudis, was CEO of organic fruit processor Ariza B.V., managing director of the Serbian Toppas Organic Production and is co-founder and -owner of NaNa Bio. He can draw on extensive worldwide experience in cultivation, processing and sales, with small-holder farming systems as specialty.
Next to this, he was general director and board member of the Dutch EKO Foundation. He is currently EKO Ombudsman and board member of the Dutch Demeter Foundation and BioNederland. In an international context Ronald was one of the co-founders of the Organic Processing and Trade Association (OPTA). He is also accredited to give the Organic Leadership Course (OLC) of IFOAM and he recently established the OBLA in cooperation with Starfish Organic.
Twice a year, he gives the Theater Lecture 'People, Planet, Prozac', together with the ImpactAcademy.
Ronald regularly speaks about the organic sector in international fora, such as at the BBC Worldservice, the AIJN World Juice Summit, the European Commission and at the Biofach every year.