The World Poultry Foundation has announced the appointment of Wytse Vellema as Senior Program Manager. Wytse will be a part of the WPF Executive Team and will be responsible for managing the dual-purpose development programs in Africa and engaging with other development organizations and private companies to build distribution networks targeting smallholder farmers.

With a background in finance and economics, Mr. Vellema has worked in the development of smallholder based agricultural supply chains in Africa, South America, and Asia. He was most recently the Innovation Manager with Hendrix Genetics and holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Ghent University and an MSC in Development Economics (cum Laude) from Wageningen University. 

WPF CEO, Randall Ennis, commented, “We are thrilled to have Wytse join our team at the World Poultry Foundation. His insight into development programs and his understanding of rural poultry value chains will help us refine and develop our initiatives across Africa.”

Mr Vellema currently resides in Utrecht Netherlands.

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About the World Poultry Foundation

Formerly known as the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program (UIPDP), the World Poultry Foundation works to promote economic development in distressed areas and emerging markets outside of the United States by helping to establish the production, availability, and ultimately consumption of a low cost, highly efficient and nutritious protein that poultry can provide. This will be accomplished by providing technical, educational, and any other assistance needed to foster the development of the local poultry and egg industries. The World Poultry Foundation will seek to cooperate and partner with other like-minded foundations, organizations, and governments by assisting them in projects that advance the charitable purposes of the Foundation.

UIPDP was created in 1997 from an opportunity to assist the fledgling Russian poultry industry. Funds from the U.S. government and the poultry industry were leveraged to enter into a joint venture partnership with a Russian broiler production facility. Elinar Broiler was created out of this partnership. After the sale of UIPDP’s shares back to Elinar in 2006, it was agreed that proceeds would be used for charitable purposes outside the U.S. to assist other poultry industries around the world. In 2015, UIPDP was re-named the World Poultry Foundation and restructured to reflect a broader mission for its work yet focusing on the economic development of emerging markets through direct involvement with local industries and farmers.