Simon Nanne Groot, beloved father, friend, visionary, founder of vegetable seed company East-West Seed and former World Food Prize Laureate, passed away on July 6th in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands at the age of 90.
A 6th generation seedsman, Simon Groot is seen as a figurehead and pioneer, recognized in the global seed industry and in the world of agriculture for his transformative efforts in lifting
millions of smallholder farmers out of poverty in more than 80 countries.
By providing them with quality seeds and imparting knowledge on improved cultivation practices, millions of farmers have earned greater incomes, benefiting millions of consumers globally with improved access to nutritious vegetables. Simon Groot was bestowed the Order of Sikatuna in the Philippines, and he was awarded a royal decoration: Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
With a strong desire to bring quality seeds to tropical regions, Simon Groot set foot in the Philippines in 1982 at the age of 47. Combining his innate understanding of the complexities of plant breeding, hand-in-hand with his background in economics, Simon Groot began working with the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam and Filipino seed trader Benito Domingo to deliver quality seeds to smallholder farmers in Asia. As such, Eastern and Western knowledge were combined.
His work has invigorated both rural and urban markets for vegetable crops, making nutritious vegetables more widely available and affordable for millions of families each year.
