Michelle Deugd is the Director of Forest and Agriculture at Rainforest Alliance, where she has worked for the past 16 years. She is a passionate sustainability leader committed to creating impact, improving farmer and worker livelihoods, and conserving nature. She is a coffee expert and has global experience in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
Michelle holds an MSc in Tropical Agronomy and Natural Resource Management from Wageningen University and Research. She began her career 28 years ago in Costa Rica, working for the FAO in collaboration with MAG, focusing on coffee and soil and water conservation—topics that have remained central to her career.
Key strengths: regenerative agriculture, coffee, cocoa, sustainable supply chain development, sector transformation, positive and executive leadership.