Christiane Hornikel

Project leader

Christiane Hornikel has been working at SMK since September 2025. As a project leader within the Plant Products team, she focuses on the development of certification schemes, in particular On the Way to PlanetProof.

Christiane studied Social Sciences and Rural Development in Germany. After her studies, she joined the German development cooperation, where she worked on creating income opportunities for cocoa and coffee farmers in Sierra Leone. In this role, she gained hands-on experience with the functioning and impact of sustainability certification. After moving to the Netherlands, she worked at UTZ and later at Rainforest Alliance, where she was involved in the development and implementation of sustainability programs for various themes and agricultural products, such as hazelnuts, herbs & spices, and bananas.

At SMK, Christiane sees an opportunity to contribute to more sustainable plant production and trade in the Netherlands and Europe, with attention to both people and nature.

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