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ePaper created 2015-12-01, 11:34:23 | version 1.43.00
WHAT SHE REALLY ENJOYS is ‘working together in an intercul- tural team.’ From the moment she chose her degree subject – international agribusiness – Elisabeth Fischer was setting a course for a career abroad. Now, working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Devel- opment as an advisor on sustainability in agribusiness and the food industry, she travels throughout the Association of South- east Asian Nations (ASEAN) from her base in Bangkok. ‘It’s an exciting region’ says Fischer: ‘The markets are undergoing huge change because, at the end of 2015, ASEAN is launching the ASEAN Economic Community with a single market.’ There’s a lot of work involved: the 10 member states have to agree on standards, for example for the certification of foodstuffs. Fischer is designing shared learning packages for the ASEAN countries in areas such as the production and marketing of healthy foods. ‘What’s really important is that the system works not only for producers and consumers, but also for the environ- ment,’ she argues. The target group for training is young profes- sionals from state and private sector companies. But decision- makers in government ministries are also being targeted in an attempt to disseminate new knowledge within member coun- tries. And strengthening small-scale farms has been a major aim too: ‘We want to improve the way small farms cooperate with the private sector so that they can get more out of value chains,’ Fischer says. AGRICULTURAL EXPERT GIZ is always looking for experts for its projects. Interested? Why not visit our ‘Jobs and careers’ page: www.giz.de/careers. ELISABETH FISCHER, INTRODUCING