Gert van der Bijl graduated as agricultural development economist. In 2009 he joined Solidaridad, an international network organization promoting sustainability in 13 different supply chains in 40 countries around the globe. At Solidaridad he first coordinating the global on Soy and later on Livestock & Leather and was involved in work in several other sectors. Since 2021, he has been responsible for Solidaridad's European advocacy, with a focus on the Deforestation and Due Diligence legislation. Before joining Solidaridad, Gert worked 20 years in the Dutch agricultural sector.