The sixth-generation seedsman and 2019 World Food Prize Laureate was recognised for his transformative work providing quality seeds and knowledge to farmers across more than 80 countries
Tributes have poured in for Simon Nanne Groot, founder of vegetable seed company East-West Seed and former World Food Prize Laureate, who died on 6 July in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, at the age of 90.
A sixth-generation seedsman, Groot was seen as a figurehead and pioneer who laid the foundations of the Dutch vegetable seed industry, and was recognised in the world of agriculture for his transformative efforts in lifting millions of smallholder farmers out of poverty in more than 80 countries.
”During his many travels as marketing director of the family seeds business Sluis & Groot (now Syngenta) he had noticed the poverty of smallholder farmers in South East Asia, and the need for high-quality seed so farmers could increase their productivity and income,” East-West Seed stated.
”By providing them with quality seeds and imparting knowledge on improved cultivation practices, millions of farmers have earned greater incomes, benefitting millions of consumers globally with improved access to nutritious vegetables.”
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, he set foot in the Philippines in 1982 at the age of 47,” the group continued.
”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,” it outlined.
“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.”
In 2019, Groot received the highest honour in agriculture when he was awarded the World Food Prize.
Known as the ’Nobel Prize for Food’, the 2019 World Food Prize honoured Groot and East-West’s achievements over the past four decades.
”Simon Groot’s legacy continues to inspire and guide us in our work at East-West Seed,” the group added.
