In Memoriam - Klaus Dürbeck

Founding Member of FairWild Foundation & Chair of the Board of Trustees

Director of Klaus Dürbeck Consulting

Passed away suddenly due to illness on 16 December 2016

With great sadness we announce the death of our President, Klaus Dürbeck. One of FairWild's founders, he was at the heart of our work with the FairWild Standard, and our vision and mission to provide a fair and sustainable future for wild plant resources and the people that depend on them.

With long experience and as a highly respected professional in the natural products sector, Klaus brought to FairWild a deep knowledge of the medicinal and aromatic plants industry, and a strongly held commitment to supporting the needs of entrepreneurs in developing countries. He was skilled at working with all stakeholders to create a vision of sustainable rural economic development and wild resource management.

Within FairWild Foundation, Klaus was one of the creators of the FairWild Standard, and in recent years, a driving force behind the development of the certification scheme - creating practical systems that are just now starting to show the promise of his efforts.

With his dynamic personality and drive, Klaus was a key leader of our Foundation who will be hugely missed. In losing Klaus we have lost a true champion of our shared goals and values, and a great friend. His passion for FairWild, medicinal plants and the sustainable livelihoods of harvesters worldwide will be remembered for many years to come.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and his many close colleagues around the world. We will keep his determination, his ideas and values alive in our work.