Blue North

About Us

For us, sustainability begins with a business securing a holistic and strategic grasp of the economic, social and environmental dependencies and impacts that collectively determine its resilience – its ability to thrive in the face of the shocks, disruptions, opportunities and change associated with an increasingly integrated, uncertain and volatile world. We assist clients to make the shifts in thinking, planning and practice to achieve true and lasting resilience.

2011

Formed Blue North and secured our first contracts.

2012

Blue North was appointed the project managers for Confronting Climate Change.

2013

Developed the content for the Sustainable Fruit initiative (SFI), which became the SIZA Environmental Standard.

2014

Developed the first holistic sustainability frameworks for agriculture clients.

2016

Roll out of Excel sustainability frameworks with fruit crops, tea, cut-flowers and aquaculture.

2017

Registered a business in the UK to handle our international client base.

2018

Developed SHERPA, our online sustainability management solution, for supply chains.

2019

Launched SHERPA at Fruit Logistica, Berlin, and Blue North is appointed as project managers for FruitLook.

2022

Blue North grows from 6 employees before Covid-19 to 20.

2024

Reorganised the business into Client Success and Product Success teams. Started the development of My SHERPA 2.0.

Where we operate

Guiding concepts

We offer a range of services and online tools that each add value,
separately and in combination with one another

Real change comes from the inside-out

Farmers hold the most important keys to “sustainability”

Improving “flow” is the key to improving supply-chain performance

Metrics provide the critical feedback-loop necessary for ongoing learning & improvement

There is a big difference between “Strong” and “Weak” sustainability

Agriculture is characterised by high variability and non-uniformity from site to site

Our team

David Farrell

B.Sc. Agriculture (Horticultural Science); PDMM; MBA; qualified TOC Practitioner.

Eddie Vienings

B.Eng (Industrial Engineering); MBA; qualified TOC Practitioner.

Anél Blignaut

B.Sc. Agriculture (Animal physiology; Zoology; Nature Conservation); M.Sc. Forestry (Conservation Ecology); Registered Professional
Natural Scientist.

Gerald Payne

Dip Computer Science.

Jana van der Merwe

Account Manager.

Alexis Oosthuizen

B.Sc. (Agric.) Animal Science; M.Sc. (Agric.) Pasture Science.

Amber Paulse

B.Sc Conservation Ecology; M.Sc Conservation Ecology (cum laude).

Cari van Coller

BEng (Chemical Engineering); MEng Cum Laude (Bioprocess Engineering).

Dianca Yssel

B.Sc. Agriculture (Animal Science with Conservation ecology); M.Sc. Animal Science.

Eduan Groenewald

BCom Informatics; BCom (Hons) Informatics.

Hanna Boon

BSc Conservation Ecology.

Hugo Kriel

B.Eng Industrial Engineering; B.Eng (Hons) Industrial Engineering

Jaco Olivier

BSc Conservation Ecology; MSc Conservation Ecology; PhD Conservation Ecology

Jonè Carter

BSc Zoology.

Keenan Naicker

MAgric in Agribusiness Management.

Malissa Murphy

BSc Earth Science; BSc (Hons) Environmental Soil Science.

Nadia Viljoen

BSc Conservation Ecology; MSc Entomology

Nelise Olivier

BSc Biodiversity and Ecology; PGDip Environmental Management.

Sally Fraser

BCom (Hons) Information Systems Management; MPhil Environment, Society and Sustainability.

Solène Reed

BCom (Hons) Financial Management; MCom Business Management.

Thomas Jeffrey

BSc Agricultural Economic Analysis.

Wilmie Cronjé

BSc Biodiversity & Ecology.

Yakim Gonsalves

BEng (Chemical); MEng cum laude (Chemical).