Welcome

Dear reader,

Welcome to this book and the celebration of 40 years of East-West Seed. What started as a simple idea forty years ago has become an incredible adventure that has not yet ended. Over the past four decades, we have helped millions of smallholder farmers in South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America out of poverty. All these different regions have one thing in common: they are tropical or dry areas where farming sometimes is complex and where hunger is just one failed harvest away. Farmers had difficulty growing food for themselves and their families, with little or nothing left to sell on a local market. No wonder almost 50 percent of the population in these areas were farmers: they had to eat.

East-West Seed strives to uplift farmers’ lives around the globe. Our ability to deliver good seeds helps our farmers get higher yields. But that is not where we stop. We teach farmers how to farm and help them set up shop and improve their income through our Knowledge Transfer initiative. We encourage women to start farming. In some countries, 40 percent of the female workforce is already active in food production, and many women know about crops. With equal access to the products and methods, their farms could return up to 30 percent more. The total production in developing countries could increase by up to 4 percent, reducing the number of hungry people worldwide by 12-17 percent, that is an

estimated 100-150 million people.

For societies to become increasingly self-sustaining in their food needs, we need to become more and more inclusive. Farmers, men and women alike, are bringing prosperity to their children, families, communities, and markets. East-West Seed wants to contribute to changing their lives dramatically and for good. We are incredibly proud of being part of that.

In 2019 my father, East-West Seed’s founder Simon Groot, received the World Food Prize, an award for the work of a lifetime. Meanwhile, for 40 years, our farmers have done the hard work. It is time to honor them. Many have become advocates of good farming in their own communities, eager to share their knowledge. They are also eager to share their experiences with you. The result is right here in this book, which celebrates that journey.

After the farmers’ stories, our founder Simon Groot and our CEO Douwe Zijp share their visions on the past and the future of East-West Seed.

Enjoy!

Ard Groot Chairman East-West Seed