When we talk about Rikolto, we are talking about an international network organisation, our programmes and the people who work for us around the world. We are all Rikolto.
Rikolto consists of three legal entities operating alongside each other: Rikolto International, Rikolto Belgium and Rikolto Consult. The three organisations are related in financial, economic and organisational terms and share a common mission, yet have their own governance structures.
In 2017, our organisational and governance structure underwent a complete makeover and Rikolto became an international network organisation. Rikolto International was founded: a new legal entity next to Rikolto Belgium (previously the NGO Vredeseilanden), which became the vessel of the network organisation. Rikolto’s offices in Latin America, East Africa, West Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe (Belgium) all constitute an equal part of Rikolto as network organisation, with Rikolto Belgium being the only office with a separate legal entity.
"We simply could not stand anymore for a management and board consisting of only Belgians leading a global organisation. Our international governance structure allows us to benefit fully of all global knowledge, competences and dynamics. Making our food systems sustainable is not a traditional development problem: it’s a challenge we either globally overcome together, or we will fail at."
Rikolto International is managed by a Global Directors Team, a Global Operations Team, a Strategy Meeting and an International Board of Directors, in which all Rikolto regions are represented.
Up until 2016, Rikolto Belgium – then going by the name of Vredeseilanden/ VECO – consisted of a headoffice and seven regional offices. In 2016, our organisational and governance structure underwent a complete makeover and we became an international network organisation. Following the internationalisation of our organisation and governance, we changed our brand name from Vredeseilanden/VECO to Rikolto. A new organisation, Rikolto International, was founded as vessel of all international programmes; Rikolto Belgium became in charge of Rikolto’s programme in Belgium and private fundraising. This way, Rikolto Belgium constitutes an equal part of the network organisation, next to the Rikolto offices in in Latin America, East Africa, West Africa and Southeast Asia. It is the only Rikolto office that currently has a separate legal entity. It also has the ultimate responsibility for all funds raised from Belgium donors and the Belgian Ministry of Development Cooperation (DGD). Rikolto in Belgium is managed by a General Assembly and a Belgian Board of Directors. For more information about the Assembly and the Board, visit the Rikolto International website.
At the end of November 2018, Rikolto International and Rikolto Belgium created Rikolto Consult, a limited liability company with social purpose. It was set up to scale the methodologies, methods, tools and instruments that Rikolto International and Rikolto Belgium have been developing in their programmes. Rikolto Consult’s activities are financed by commercial contracts with third parties who seek its consultancy and advisory services. All profits generated by Rikolto Consult go back to Rikolto International and Rikolto Belgium.
Rikolto Belgium and Rikolto International each hold 50% of the shares. The three organisations are related in financial, economic and organisational terms and share a common mission and vision. The respective executive directors of Rikolto Belgium and Rikolto International, Thibault Geerardyn and Chris Claes, have been statutorily appointed as the College of Directors of Rikolto Consult to oversee its daily management. A Supervisory Board has been established consisting of two board members from the Rikolto Belgium and Rikolto International boards of directors. According to the statutes of the two sole shareholders Rikolto Belgium & Rikolto International, this supervisory board can also represent the general assembly of Rikolto Limited.