Eck Volkmann is General Manager of the Charcoal Association of Namibia (CAoN). Born and raised in Otjozondjupa and educated in Otavi and Windhoek, he studied Agriculture in Göttingen and Berlin and lived in Germany, Ghana, Switzerland and Kenya. He began his career in agricultural market analysis and trade facilitation, contributing to EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations across Africa and the Caribbean. He went on to spend two decades in international cooperation, including as co-founder of a Geneva-based organisation focused on evidence-based peace support and political transition. Since returning to Namibia in 2023, he has focused on operational agriculture, biomass utilisation and community-based land use systems. His work today sits at the interface of market development, policy frameworks and production realities, with a particular focus on strengthening Namibia’s biomass and agri-food sectors. His current work includes market analysis based on national and international trade data, carbon footprinting of the charcoal industry to unlock climate finance, and building large-scale datasets to optimise kiln-based production and support savanna restoration through biomass utilisation. He works at the interface of markets, policy and production — focused on making biomass systems function in practice, beyond strategy papers and conference discussions.