East-West Seed began with a simple belief: that a good seed, combined with the right knowledge, can change the lives of farmers.

More than four decades later, that belief continues to guide the company’s work. As East-West Seed grows across regions and markets, the mission remains rooted in the same purpose: helping farmers grow better crops, earn better income, and build more resilient livelihoods.

In the 2025 Year in Review, Ard Groot, Maaike Groot, and Rutger Groot reflect on how this purpose continues across generations — from strategic leadership and global advocacy to practical knowledge shared in the field.

Growing with farmers, not away from them

For Ard Groot, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, East-West Seed’s growth must always stay connected to the farmers it serves.

As the company strengthens its global crop strategy, R&D alignment, and seed operations, Ard emphasizes that growth is not only about expanding markets. It is about reaching more farmers with the right seeds, support, and knowledge.

“Growth to me is not just a financial metric, but a measure of our success in accomplishing our mission to serve more smallholder farmers,” Ard shares.

At the heart of this growth is trust. When farmers see that a variety performs well, that field teams understand their needs, and that practical knowledge helps them improve their results, they return — and they tell others.

As Ard puts it, “If we do our job well and farmers trust us to deliver the right quality seeds, and to serve them with useful practical farming knowledge, they will return to us next season, and tell their neighbours about us and our seeds.”

For him, this is how East-West Seed continues to grow: not by moving away from its roots, but by deepening them.

Bringing the farmer’s voice to the world

For Maaike Groot, Global Head of Communications, Public and Regulatory Affairs and Sustainability, the work begins with making sure smallholder farmers are seen, heard, and included in the conversations that shape agriculture.

“Even though smallholder farmers work on tiny plots of land, they produce about a third of the world’s food,” Maaike says. “They are the people who make or break global food security.”

Yet too often, their realities are missing from policy and development discussions. For Maaike, this is where East-West Seed has an important role to play.

“As a company rooted in smallholder farming communities, with our teams working closely with farmers in the field, we truly have our boots on the ground,” she says. “This gives us a direct understanding of the realities farmers face every day.”

That understanding carries a responsibility: to bring farmers’ experiences into broader conversations and help ensure their voices are part of decisions that affect their future.

Maaike also points to the importance of inclusion, especially for women farmers.

“We need to stop treating women farmers as an afterthought,” she says. “It’s not just about helping them. It’s about respecting them as business owners they already are.”

Her hope is for agriculture to become a sector where the next generation sees real opportunity.

“I want us to be known as the company that stayed true to the farmer,” Maaike reflects. “My hope is that we help build a world where a farmer’s sons and daughters see a future in the land – not because they have to, but because it’s a good, proud way to make a living.”

Turning knowledge into better livelihoods

On the ground, Rutger Groot, Chair of the Board of Trustees at East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, sees knowledge as essential to farmer success.

Seeds can open opportunities, but farmers also need the skills, confidence, and market understanding to turn those opportunities into income.

“Our foremost priority is to ensure that farmer training is closely aligned with local market evolving demands for fresh vegetables, so that learning translates directly into income and opportunity,” Rutger says.

Through field-based training, EWS-KT helps farmers improve their practices in crop production, soil health, pest and disease management, water use, and farm business planning. The work continues to evolve as farmers face climate pressures, market shifts, and rising input costs.

“Farmers are not only increasing their incomes, but they continue reinvesting their profits into further scaling vegetable production,” he says. “Our interventions result in long-term, sustainable impact.”

He also sees an important opportunity in the next generation of farmers. In 2025, 53% of farmers trained by EWS-KT were between 18 and 35 years old.

“Knowledge Transfer has always played a direct role in equipping young farmers with the right agronomic practices and ensuring that they see the business case for vegetable production,” Rutger explains.

One purpose, carried forward

Ard, Maaike, and Rutger each speak from a different part of East-West Seed’s work: strategy, advocacy, and knowledge transfer. Yet their reflections are connected by one shared purpose: to help farmers improve their livelihoods through better seeds, practical knowledge, and stronger support systems.

This means staying close to farming communities, listening to the realities they face, and working with partners to create conditions where farmers can make informed decisions, respond to changing markets, and build more resilient farms.

As East-West Seed looks ahead, this purpose continues across generations. It is rooted in the belief that when farmers have access to the right tools, knowledge, and opportunities, they are better able to nourish their families, strengthen their communities, and contribute to more sustainable food systems.

Read their full interviews at the 2025 Year in Review by clicking here.