2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
Copyright Š 2020 by East-West Seed All rights reserved. This report or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of East-West Seed. 50/1 Moo 2, Sainoi-Bangbuathong Road, Sainoi, Nonthaburi, Thailand Printed in Thailand. Managing editor: Pajaree Na Songkhla, Group Communications Manager Design and layout: Piyathida Pornpitchyapong, Graphic Designer, EWS Studio
MISSION Our mission is to provide innovative products and services that will help increase the income of vegetable farmers, and promote the growth and quality of the tropical vegetable industry.
VISION Our vision is to be the best tropical vegetable seed company in the world.
CORE VALUES Serving Farmers We serve farmers. We are the farmers’ champion. We listen closely to them and we understand their needs. We offer our best solutions and deliver quality in everything we do to improve their yield and income.
Learning And Innovation We cultivate ideas and harvest innovation. Research excites us. We explore novel approaches, apply new technologies, and build an environment for creativity whether in the laboratory, in the field or in the office.
Passionate Teams We aim for excellence in serving farmers by constantly challenging ourselves and the team to excel. As a team we can achieve more than what an individual can. We work together, trust each other, care for and respect each other’s unique and diverse talents.
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EAST-WEST SEED
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
CONTENTS 6
Message From Leadership
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East-West Seed Around The World
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Our Company Through The Years
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East-West Seed at a Glance
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Our People
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Our Products
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Our Highlights · Access to Seeds Index (We did it again!) · Simon N. Groot: The 2019 World Food Prize Laureate · 2019 Countries key achievements
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Vegetables for a Healthier World · Understand the Concept · How vegetables brought us closer to a healthier world in 2019
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EAST-WEST SEED
MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP 2019 REVIEW: AN IMPROVED YEAR AND A CHALLENGING FUTURE As we enter 2020, we as a company and the nations of the
efforts to enhance the productivity of smallholder farmers.
world collectively face an unprecedented time of uncertainty
Also, our founder Simon N. Groot was named as the 2019
due to the global health and financial crisis caused by the
World Food Prize Laureate, an award informally known as the
spread of COVID-19. We believe, however, that our company
Nobel Prize of agriculture.
has the resources, fortitude and vision to guide us through this crisis and emerge stronger in the end.
Our overall sales performance in 2019 was better than in 2018 with sales growing 4%, with some countries including
But first, let’s look back and reflect on our performance and
India and Thailand but also some of our newer markets re-
key highlights of 2019. Over the past year we saw good overall
cording excellent growth. There were also some setbacks, for
market improvements. This was due in part to stronger growth
example in Indonesia where we faced quality issues at our
in India and Thailand and other areas. In addition, we entered
external seed supplier. In the Philippines, sales of seed were
new markets in countries including Laos, Nigeria and Costa
affected by the cascading effect of lower rice prices causing
Rica. There were also countries that exceeded both sales and
farmers to decrease overall spending.
profit targets for 2019, including Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia and Guatemala.
Despite these setbacks, East-West Seed’s business is healthy and growing and we are poised to meet our strategic objec-
In 2019, we launched and ran a number of initiatives to sup-
tives going forward. We will continue to strengthen our busi-
port and improve the livelihoods, incomes, health, nutrition
nesses through operational efficiencies, partnerships and syn-
and knowledge of smallholder farmers and their families. This
ergies among teams, and will push forward on our initiatives
included the launch of 53 new varieties, part of our goal of
to become more granular, more robust and improve teamwork.
helping farmers not only increase their incomes but also have better access to fresh, healthy vegetables for their families,
The lives and livelihoods of our target demographic — small-
consumers and communities. By running extensive Knowledge
holder farmers — is always at the forefront of our business
Transfer programs that reached more than 100,000 farmers
planning. Like so many people around the world, their lives
in seven countries, we continued to put forth our utmost effort
will be affected by the tumultuous economic landscape aris
in improving the skills of farmers with the aim of helping them
ing from COVID-19. This situation, coupled with more com-
earn more and increase their yields.
petitive markets and more unpredictable climate patterns, means that we as a company need to become even more pro-
In terms of operations, some highlights of 2019 included a
ductive and inventive. Doing so will make us stronger than
program to better serve our market in Thailand by realigning
before and, most importantly, help us to secure our continued
the Commercial and R&D teams, resulting in greater synergies
independence. This way we can continue to serve smallholder
and an improved product pipeline. We inaugurated a 4,500
farmers and their families — the group most vulnerable to
square meter commercial seed processing plant in Myanmar
global disruptions.
— the first of its kind in the country — to help provide access to quality seeds to local smallholder farmers. We also estab-
As always, we are grateful for the relentless work and energy
lished a new entity — East-West Seed Bangladesh Private Ltd.
put in every day by our staff, partners and other stakeholders, who together enable us to continue serving farmers with
We were also proud to receive accolades and awards from
better seeds and knowhow. Especially in this difficult time of
two key organizations that recognized our never-ending com-
quarantine and lockdown measures, it is critical that we keep
mitment to improving the lives of farmers. First, we were
supporting each other in finding innovative ways to serve our
named the top seed company in both the Global and South
farmers better, and we will do so together.
and Southeast Asian categories on the Access to Seeds Index, which rates the world’s top seed companies based on their
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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Supervisory Board
Simon Groot Honorary Chairman & Founder
Ard Groot Chairman
Joost Pekelharing Member
Douwe Zijp Vice Chairman
Juan Santos Member
James Amatavivadhana Member
Ivan Chung Member
Mary Sue Rogers Member
Rutger Groot Member
Board of Management
Bert van der Feltz President & CEO
Michel Devarrewaere Vice President
Simon Jan de Hoop Vice President
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EAST-WEST SEED
EAST-WEST SEED AROUND THE WORLD · Subsidiary Companies The Netherlands
Hortigen Properties Corp.
Philippines
Thailand
Farm Ready GG Seedling Corporation
Philippines
Thailand
East West Seeds India Pvt. Ltd.
India
Thailand
East West Seed Bangladesh Private Ltd.
Bangladesh
Thailand
NaMa Genetics Trading Ltd.
China
Cambodia
East-West Seed Yuma LLC.
USA
East-West Seed (Myanmar) Co., Ltd.
Myanmar
East-West Seed (Tanzania) Ltd.
Tanzania
East West Seed (Malaysia) SDN. BHD.
Malaysia
East-West Seed (Guatemala) Ltd.
Guatemala
East-West International B.V.
East West Seed International Ltd. East West Seed Company Ltd. Hortigenetics Research (S.E. Asia) Ltd.
East West Seedling Co.,Ltd. East-West Seed (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.
East-West Seed (Hai Mui Ten Do) Company Ltd. Vietnam East-West Seed Company Inc.
Philippines
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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NETHERLANDS
· Joint Ventures PT East West Seed Indonesia
Indonesia
East-West Seed 100% subsidiary companies East-West Seed joint ventures
· Associated Companies Genetwister Technologies B.V.
The Netherlands
PT Kentang Hollando Sejahtera
Indonesia
Area of Distribution
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EAST-WEST SEED
OUR COMPANY THROUGH THE YEARS
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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EAST-WEST SEED
EAST-WEST SEED AT A GLANCE
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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OUR PEOPLE
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EAST-WEST SEED
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
2019 LinkedIn BEST NEWCOMER AWARD East-West Seed International Limited won the 2019 LinkedIn Best Newcomer Award for companies based in Thailand as we achieved the best overall performance. This award was driven by the strong support we have received from our page followers, as it recognized we had the highest growth of fans on the LinkedIn platform during the year. Our teams from HR and Communications attended the award ceremony on December 17, 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand.
#WEAREEWS #PASSIONATETEAMS #LINKEDIN
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EAST-WEST SEED
OUR PRODUCTS
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
TOP 10 PRODUCTS OF 2019
1 Super Pinoy
2 Suprema PH
3 Sweet Violet
4 Jumbo Sweet
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Palee
6 Big Green 25
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Ceasar
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Mestisa
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Sweet White 25
Diamante Max
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EAST-WEST SEED
OUR 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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EAST-WEST SEED
ACCESS TO SEEDS INDEX (WE DID IT AGAIN!) In 2019, East-West Seed was named the top seed company in
The foundation said that EWS showed a strong improvement
both the Global and South and Southeast Asian categories on
in transparency compared with the previous Index in 2016.
the Access to Seeds Index, which rates the world’s top seed
It further commended the company for being the only global
companies based on their efforts to enhance the productivity
firm on the index with both a smallholder farmer-centric busi-
of smallholder farmers.
ness model in which its corporate strategy is geared toward this group, and a company that has its headquarters in an
EWS received a score of 3.7 out of 5 in the Global seed cate-
index country.
gory, and 4.17 out of 5 in the South and Southeast Asia category. While East-West was able to win the top global ranking
The two highest-scoring categories for EWS on the global in-
by a significant margin – the next closest company received
dex were Research & Development, with 4.13 out of 5, and a
a score of 3.35 – it was the smallest of the global companies
score of 4.11 out of 5 for Marketing & Sales, which the foun-
in terms of revenue. According to the Access to Seeds Foun-
dation said was due to the company’s extensive distribution
dation, this showed that EWS’s unique smallholder-centric
channels of its vegetable seed portfolio in 48 out of the 65
approach could be both effective and profitable.
index countries. On the topic of sales, the foundation said that EWS spends the equivalent of 8% of its seed sales on field
The Access to Seeds Foundation said that “[East-West Seed
demonstrations and related campaigns, making this a core
performed] strongly across all measurement areas, with a va-
part of its marketing strategy.
riety of programs, initiatives and projects designed to improve access to seeds for smallholder farmers. With a client base
The company also scored well on two other Access to Seeds
made up almost entirely of smallholders (98%), it demon-
Indexes: 3rd place out of 23 firms for Western and Central
strates that business models shaped around small farmers can
Africa and 3rd place out of 22 companies on the Eastern and
be profitable.”
Southern Africa list.
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
The Access to Seeds Index was created by the Netherlands-based Access to Seeds Foundation. The index is one of the first benchmarks to be published as part of the World Benchmarking Alliance, an NGO dedicated to incentivizing and accelerating companies’ efforts toward achieving the United Nations’ 117 Sustainable Development Goals.
#1 in the 2019 Access to Seeds Index, Global Seed Companies
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#1 in the 2019 Access to Seeds, South and Southern Asia Index
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EAST-WEST SEED
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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SIMON N. GROOT THE 2019 WORLD FOOD PRIZE LAUREATE Since founding East-West Seed nearly 40 years ago, Simon
philanthropist Bill Gates also delivered a personal video mes-
N. Groot built the company keeping in mind a core philos-
sage as did HRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands.
ophy that he envisioned while touring Southeast Asia in the 1980s: to deliver quality, locally adapted seeds to farmers
As part of the symposium, which took place over the course
and to become their friend. Since the company’s founding,
of three days, East-West Seed hosted an event on the theme
East-West Seed and Mr. Groot have helped to improve the in-
“Farmers, Food, and the Future: Vegetable Seeds for a
comes and lives of millions of smallholder farmers all around
Healthier World”. The event featured discussions about top-
the world by providing them with quality seeds that produce
ics including food security and sustainability, and the eco-
nutritious, affordable vegetables.
nomic and nutritional power of vegetables. Experts taking part in the event included Marije Beens, Director Ministry
In honor of his life’s work of improving millions of lives
of Agriculture of the Netherlands; Purvi Mehta, Head of Asia
through better seeds and localized training programs, Groot
Agriculture at The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Roy
was named as the 2019 World Food Prize Laureate. The
Steiner, Senior Vice President of the Food Initiative at The
prestigious ceremony took place on October 17, 2019 at the
Rockefeller Foundation; Marco Wopereis, Director General of
Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
the World Vegetable Center; Ido Verhagen, Director of Access to Seeds Index; Ernst van den Ende, Director Plant Sciences
During his acceptance speech, Groot provided insight on
Group at Wageningen University and Research; and Jan Low,
what had been the secret to the company’s success.
the 2016 World Food Prize Laureate.
“The science of developing better seeds, knowledge of mar-
A recurring theme at the event was the negative effects on
ket demands and education of the farmers, is what we now
public health and educational advancement that occur in
call Knowledge Transfer,” he said. “We are currently training
communities that do not have access to enough healthy veg-
100,000 farmers per year and the goal is to increase that to
etables. This issue is at the heart of East-West Seed’s drive
300,000 farmers.”
to deliver better seeds and Knowledge Transfer programs to local communities. “We are not eating vegetables at optimal
Groot also spoke of his continued plans to expand his com-
levels for optimal health—we’re only getting 50% of what we
pany’s vision to Africa.
need,” said Roy Steiner, Senior Vice President of the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. “It’s a universal
“How do I see the future of growing vegetables? It will start
problem from the US to Africa. In global populations across
with transplanting the knowledge of what we have learned in
the board, only 10% of the population are getting
Asia to Africa. We now want to professionalize the vegetable
the optimal amount.”
farming industry of Africa like we did and continue to do in Asia,” Groot said. This would mean “more income for farm-
The World Food Prize honors those who work to advance hu-
ers, and more healthy food for local and urban populations.”
man development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food. The award was created in 1986 by Dr. Norman
The ceremony was part of the 33rd World Food Prize Bor-
Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who hoped that the
laug Dialogue International Symposium, based on the theme
World Food Prize would come to be seen as the Nobel Prize
“Pax Agricultura”. A number of international delegates and
for food and agriculture. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel
luminaries attended the event, including André Haspels, the
Peace Prize in 1970 for his efforts in developing high-yield,
ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United
disease-resistant varieties of wheat and rice. It is widely be-
States; Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Repub-
lieved that Borlaug’s scientific discoveries helped save more
lic of Congo; Chanthol Sun, Minister of Public Works and
than a billion people worldwide from starvation throughout
Transport in Cambodia; Gérardine Mukeshimana, Minister of
his lifetime.
Agriculture of Rwanda; Victor Villalobos, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Mexico and Kim Reynolds, Governor of the U.S. state of Iowa. Microsoft founder and Watch video
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EAST-WEST SEED
2019 COUNTRIES KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Full stories can be found here
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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EAST-WEST SEED
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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“ East-West Seed is a global vegetable seed company that helps us all grow and eat more vegetables because
when vegetables rise, people thrive. ”
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EAST-WEST SEED
VEGETABLES FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT
People need vegetables to thrive. For too long, people in
Lack of economic opportunity for vegetable growers is an
many parts of the world have not had access to quality,
urgent threat, not only to the global food supply, but to the
affordable vegetables. East-West Seed has spent nearly 40
stability and resilience of rural communities. With higher
years working with partners and growers in tropical regions
numbers of young people migrating to cities, it is essential that
to change that.
we find ways to make agriculture a more economically viable path for more people.
By breeding quality, locally-adapted hybrid vegetable seeds and improving agricultural techniques, we are ensuring that more
Vegetables provide a clear solution to this challenge. East-West
people have more nutritious diets. The impact on health is
Seed breeds quality, locally-adapted vegetable seeds that improve
part of the story—food is at the heart of culture, history, and
yields, reduce pesticide and water usage, and increase profits
heritage.
for vegetable growers. And these benefits enable growers, many of them women, to put more money back into their
A simple vegetable seed can become anything. From India to
farms, educate their children, and protect against financial
the Philippines to Tanzania and beyond, local cultures transform
instability. Growers who experience these benefits spread
locally-adapted vegetable seed varieties into healthy dishes
the word to their communities, creating a ripple effect that
that feed the world.
boosts the economic livelihood of everyone. From farms to distribution channels to markets to tables, vegetables unlock economic opportunity for all. East-West Seed makes it possible.
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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For nearly four decades, East-West Seed has been singularly
East-West Seed has worked with growers around the world
focused on breeding the highest quality, locally adapted hybrid
for the past 40 years to understand their needs and breed
vegetable seeds for farmers in tropical regions. During that time,
the highest quality, locally-adapted hybrid vegetable seeds
East-West Seed has built a world-leading R&D presence that
possible. But we also know that seeds alone are not enough.
is relentless in its mission to improve the quality and variety of vegetables available to growers. And when growers have access
To open new markets in less developed areas and help farmers
to better seeds, entire populations gain access to better health
get the most out of their investments, we have created a ded-
and nutrition.
icated Knowledge Transfer team. Our team works closely with growers to provide the knowledge and skills that improve yields
East-West Seed pursues this mission through conventional plant
and reduce water and pesticide usage. The result is vegetable
breeding techniques. As scientists who are committed to improv-
crops that are more resistant to pests and disease for growing
ing global health and nutrition and improving the livelihood of
populations in environments made increasingly challenging
vegetable growers, we maintain our curiosity about the potential
by climate change. By generating higher profits, growers also
of new technologies and processes for carrying out our mission.
have more money to invest back into farms or education, en-
Confronting global challenges on the scale of hunger and rural
abling them to enjoy a better livelihood and more sustainable
poverty will require innovation and exploration, and East-West
future.
Seed is proud to play a leading role in that fight. New technologies can accelerate the process of development and improve
We are committed to developing a new generation of “progres-
precision and safety, and it is our responsibility to bring a farmer
sive farmers� who can build a bridge from traditional farming to
-focused perspective to new advances.
modern techniques and technology, bringing more vegetables to the world.
Our experienced R&D teams are advancing the science of plant breeding every day, so that people around the world can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable future.
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EAST-WEST SEED
HOW VEGETABLES BROUGHT US CLOSER TO A HEALTHIER WORLD IN 2019
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EAST-WEST SEED
HEALTH & NUTRITION Improving health and nutrition through vegetable gardening Filipinos are among the lowest consumers of vegetables in
In 2019, EWSF launched four major projects that benefitted
the Asia-Pacific region on a per-capita level. According to
around 4,500 students, teachers, parents, and out-of-school
the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), the Philip-
youth from 40 communities. Through these projects, the ben-
pines’ per capita consumption of vegetables is 41 kilograms
eficiaries increased their skills and knowledge on gardening,
per year, which is way below the World Health Organization’s
enabling them to establish and sustain their own vegetable
recommendation of 73 kilograms per year.
gardens.
Since 2010, East-West Seed Foundation (EWSF) in the Phil-
The vegetable gardens established in public schools through
ippines has been advocating the increase of vegetable con-
these projects also complemented the school feeding pro-
sumption among Filipinos for better nutrition.
grams as vegetables harvested from the gardens are used as main ingredients in the school meals.
One of EWSF’s main thrusts is vegetable gardening education among schools and communities to help increase the avail-
EWSF conducted the projects in partnership with the Philip-
ability, affordability, and consumption of nutrient-dense veg-
pines’ Department of Education, Nestle, Philippine Business
etables.
for Social Progress, Villar SIPAG Farm School, and the World Wildlife Fund.
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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HEALTH & NUTRITION Strategic partnership with book store targets urban farmers in Thailand East-West Seed Thailand (EWTH) has traditionally focused on
Since the launch, the partnership has proven to be successful
selling seeds to farmers in rural areas, and as such has built
for EWTH, as shoppers at the bookstore outlets are the prime
up an extensive marketing and distribution network in the
demographic for those interested in home farming. In 2018,
provinces outside of Bangkok and other large cities. However,
66,000 units were sold at 43 branches and sales more than
while EWTH had a strong presence in the rural areas of the
doubled the following year. Our target for 2020 is to have Go
country, its products were not highly visible or readily avail-
Grow pouches in an expanded number of outlets throughout
able among urban residents.
the country.
To encourage urban dwellers to grow their own vegetables and
The Nai-in bookstore chain is a division of the Thai-based
as part of the company vision of promoting the consumption
Ammarin corporation. In addition to retail, Ammarin also spe-
of healthy vegetables, in 2017 EWTH embarked on an initia-
cializes in organizing large trade shows, including a widely
tive to popularize home farming for city residents. This was
popular annual home and gardening fair that EWTH takes part
kicked off by launching the so-called “Go Grow� seed pouch
in every year. East-West is currently the only company selling
packaging, which included useful information for urban growers
seeds in the bookstore chain.
such as product data, crop cultivation instructions, and nutrients. Next, EWTH signed a partnership with bookstore chain Nai-in. As part of the agreement, Nai-in sells the Go Grow pouches of EWS seeds in its more than 120 stores throughout the country.
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EAST-WEST SEED
ECONOMIC IMPACT ADVANCE Myanmar: Changing the lives of female farmers and their communities
Daw Mya Ngwe
Improving the livelihoods of farmers, particularly female
Daw Mya Ngwe, a 55-year-old female farmer, is one of the
farmers, is at the core of East-West Seed’s company mission.
many success stories of the ADVANCE Myanmar program.
This ethos is thriving in Myanmar’s Kayin State, where the
She originally grew field corn, sugarcane and flowers. In tak-
“ADVANCE Myanmar” project was organized in 2017. The
ing part in the ADVANCE Myanmar over a 2-year period, Mya
program, which is run as a partnership with NGO the Menno-
Ngwe was taught a variety of sustainable farming techniques
nite Economic Development Associates, seeks to create a new
to improve the productivity and profitability of her farmland.
market for commercial seeds, develop the vegetable sector in
This included tips such as how to use plastic mulch to pre-
Kayin State, and demonstrate the effectiveness of engaging
vent weeds. She started by growing sweet pepper made from
female farmers in agri-business.
East-West Seed’s seeds. Come harvest time, she was happy to discover that her net profit per plot of sweet peppers was
ADVANCE Myanmar is run in a similar way as other East-West
US$780. This was more than double the profits compared
Seed’s Knowledge Transfer programs, with the exception be-
with the US$310 that she made from a similar-sized land plot
ing that women make up a majority of the participants. Of the
of sugarcane.
90 original lead farmers selected for the project, 60 of those chosen to take part were women.
She then reinvested her profits into growing more sweet pepper and began to produce hot pepper as well. With the extra
In addition to promoting local economic development, the
income generated and a greater sense of financial stability,
project also looks to provide benefits to women who are largely
she is now able to better support her nieces and nephews by
kept out of the decision making on farms and have less access
paying for school fees, and gives more offerings to her local
to knowledge about improved production practices than men,
temple.
even though they are often just as active in the field. These female participants, along with their male counterparts, are
Mya Ngwe’s success in the ADVANCE Myanmar is an inspi-
trained to improve their knowledge and practices in growing
ration and a model for development for many other women
vegetables and forming new market linkages for the sale of
farmers in Myanmar and around the world.
their products.
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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ECONOMIC IMPACT Farming mentorship for Indonesian millennials also helps them build online community
Dwi Kusma Hadiyanto
Dwi Kusma Hadiyanto grew up in a farming family in the
“Most parents do not want their children to be farmers. They
Jember regency of East Java province in Indonesia. Although
are more proud to see their children become doctors, civil servants
he decided to continue with the family business, he said some
and other professions,” he said. “Farming is still seen by
of his friends didn’t understand why he chose farming and
many as a lowly profession, one that does not provide a bright
seed production as a profession.
future. But I disagree. To me, being a farmer promises good income similar to other professions like IT or engineering.”
“Being a farmer may not be a dream job for most young people, but for me it is,” Hadiyanto said. “It is my first choice.”
Hadiyanto added that he hoped the Creative Young Farmer Program can continue to serve as a forum for the new generation
The 30-year-old son of a seed grower for East-West Seed said
of farmers, and help to change the mindset of young entrepreneurs
his father encouraged him to follow in his footsteps and study
along the way.
agronomy at the local university. He later joined East-West Seed Indonesia’s Creative Young Farmer program, which aims
“The reason I chose to focus on seed production is because it
to inspire young farmers to become seed producers.
is our basic human need to eat vegetables and fruits,” he said. “Our population will grow, and with it the demand for more
As part of the program, locals below 30 years of age are
nutritious food will grow too. This will increase the demand.”
mentored to become professional seed growers, with East-West Seed providing them with training in seed production and
Hadiyanto also has good advice for his fellow millennials: “For
resource management. It also helps the members to build a
young farmer friends who want to farm, don’t be embarrassed.
community and connect via Whatsapp and social media to
Farming is a noble job, a cool profession. Our office is in the
share their knowledge and experience with one another,
middle of the field, we set our own working hours, and we can
exchanging information such as solutions to common problems
earn income just as well or even more than other professions.”
like pests and diseases. Hadiyanto says that one of the reasons recruiting young people from his community to be farmers is challenging due to the parents encouraging their children to move into more white collar professions.
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EAST-WEST SEED
VEGETABLE BREEDING EWS Guatemala’s plant pathology program helps breeders develop more resistant hybrids The pursuit of knowledge about plant pathology, or diseases in
The second step of the plant pathology program is to perform
plants caused by pathogens and environmental conditions, is
a continuous disease survey project in order to determine
an important way to ensure healthy crops and steady financial
the most predominant pathogens in Guatemala’s main crops.
incomes for farmers.
The surveys, which are typically conducted twice a month in production areas, involve the collecting of infected samples
In 2019 in Guatemala, the East-West Seed team set up a
for diagnosis and the storing of pathogens that will be used in
Plant Pathology program led by Dr. Geane Fontes. The ob-
the development of resistance protocols.
jective of the program is to support plant breeders through the development of protocols for resistance screening as well
Another aspect of the program is the training of farmers via
as to support local growers in pathogen detection and diag-
lectures on plant disease and the management of pathogens,
nosis, therefore helping them to protect their crops against
as well as discussions with growers about the problems they
infectious organisms and physiological factors that can lead
faced in these areas. The trainings are organized by the EWS
to disease outbreaks.
Guatemala Sales and Product Development Support teams.
The program began in July with the opening of a plant pathol-
Last year, two training sessions were held with onion growers
ogy laboratory and two greenhouses in order to perform ex-
about the management of onion thrips, which are notorious
periments under controlled conditions. The first protocol es-
insects found in Guatemala and all over the world that can
tablished in the program was for resistance screening against
both damage crops and act as a vector for plant viruses. Is-
the virus Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), which affects
sues related to the characteristics of the infectious organisms,
both tomatoes and peppers and is one of the most prominent
symptoms, and management measures are addressed in the
pathogens in these crops in Latin America. This protocol is
training. It is also shown symptomatic plants to teach growers
now being used in routine experiments. Other protocols are
how to identify pathogen symptoms and how to make a prior
currently in development for resistance against fungi, bacte-
diagnosis in the field, which sometimes is possible. However,
rias and viruses that infect tomato, melon, pepper and on-
to confirm the causal agent of the disease it is always import-
ions. These studies will help breeders to develop varieties with
ant to send samples for diagnosis in a laboratory.
higher yield and resistance to different organisms, reducing the need for the use of chemicals in crop management.
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
VEGETABLE BREEDING East-West Seed boosts breeding capacity in the Philippines with a new R&D facility In line with its mission to improve the income of smallholder
The new facility is envisioned to increase the company plant
farmers through innovative products and services, East-West
breeders’ capacity in developing robust, resistant, and high-
Seed has expanded its Research and Development (R&D) ca-
yielding vegetable varieties that are suited to the needs of the
pacity in the Philippines with the establishment of its new
local market.
R&D facility in San Juan, Batangas. The development of the facility is expected to be completed The 36-hectare R&D farm is situated in a low-elevation site that closely resembles the growing conditions that most Filipino farmers have.
in 2022.
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EAST-WEST SEED
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER Farming project in Uganda is providing more than just incomes for South Sudanese Refugees “They are our brothers and sisters, let them come”
The project, in partnership with the NGO Integrated Seed Sector Development Uganda, is centered on building the skills for
A devastating civil war in South Sudan beginning in 2013 has
vegetable growing and production, while helping local small-
led to the displacement of more than 4 million people, with
holder farmers improve their yields and increase their profits.
about 2.5 million fleeing to neighboring countries. Of those,
Currently, the program is looking to target 5,000 refugees and
about 1 million have sought refuge in northern Uganda.
local Ugandans.
Thankfully, Uganda has been largely open and receptive to the
As part of the project, the team has set up a facility where
migrants, due to the country being progressive with regards
they are able to demonstrate growing techniques. They have
to welcoming and assimilating refugees into society. This is
also built a seedling house, held field days to transfer knowl-
helped by the fact that there are shared cultures spanning the
edge, and are translating crop guides into local languages in-
region, as well as a history of Sudanese support for Ugandans
cluding Lugbara, Bari and Arabic.
during their own internal conflicts in the 1980s. The project is making a difference in more ways than one. This welcoming spirit in Uganda is exemplified by locals such
In addition to providing skills that create valuable sources of
as David Baguma, who serves as the head of the East-West
income, the project also serves as a way to help the refugees
Seed Knowledge Transfer team for the West Nile project,
integrate into local society. Also, because of the demographics
which began in February 2019.
of the area, the vast majority of those who will be trained are women.
The Sudanese migrants are looking for opportunities to build new lives, but to achieve this, they need an environment that
When asked how he will look back on this project in the years
is conducive to opportunities and skills that can help them
to come, David is hopeful. “What will make us proud is to see
take these chances. David says that to improve the lives of the
what we implemented is sustainable in the long term,” he
many refugees now staying in Uganda, the time to act is now.
said. “Then we will know we have made a real difference.”
“We need to move at speed,” he said. “The people [in West Nile] need vegetables to eat and they need an income from farming but they are not there yet. They are eager to see us started.”
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EAST-WEST SEED
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER Knowledge Transfer team making a difference in India
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Arun Mohan Pote
986% Return On Investment for a new vegetable farmer
Arun Mohan Pote is one of the many smallholder farmers who
All of these technologies were quite new to Arun, but they
had their lives improved last year due to the guiding hands of
were soon to pay off handsomely.
the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT) team. By the end of the season, Arun was happy to report a 986% Originally a cotton, soybean and wheat farmer in the village of
Return On Investment (ROI) for his bitter gourd crop, with a
Dhanora, in the Hingoli District in Maharashtra, India, Arun
net profit of more than 94,000 rupees (US$1,230) on an area
was discouraged and losing money due to a lack of rainfall
of just 0.2 acres. To put this into perspective, he previously
and poor access to other water sources in his area. He was
achieved a net profit of about 6,000 rupees per one acre of
not alone – other farmers in the community face difficulties in
cotton and 3,000 rupees for one acre of soybean.
finding secure sources of water during dry periods. As a result, vegetables could fetch significantly higher prices at market
He also recorded impressive results for his other crops. His
during the dry season.
sales of okra and ridge gourd brought him a net profit of more than 37,000 rupees and an ROI of 436% and 981%, respec-
Arun’s luck changed when he joined forces with the EWS-KT
tively.
team, which aims to increase the skills of smallholder farmers to allow them to increase their yields and improve their
Needless to say, Arun was quite happy with the results that he
livelihoods.
was able to achieve through the guidance of the EWS-KT. He is now planning to invest some of the profits he made from the
Assisting Arun on his journey toward a better livelihood was
sales of his three crops into building a large well on his land so
EWS-KT’s technical field officer Prakash Lakhade. Their first
that he can grow more during the dry periods. Arun remains a
task was to set up a drip irrigation system on Arun’s farm.
“key farmer” for EWS-KT and shares what he has learned with
They then closely studied market research to determine which
other farmers in his community.
were the best crops to grow during the winter season. They decided upon three: bitter gourd, okra, and ridge gourd. Next, Arun, Prakash and the team implemented EWS-KT’s low-cost farming technologies including seedling production, trellising, raised bed preparation, pruning, and fertilization.
2019 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
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Knowledge Transfer activities for women farmers in India
We all know how important women are to rural economies.
Our approach followed a three-pillar strategy:
The dynamics of the family revolves around their contribution. From rearing poultry, small livestock, to growing food crops, they are responsible for 80% of food production either
Training and education in improved agricultural practices in vegetable farming
directly or indirectly in India. In many farming communities, women are still the main custodians of knowledge on crop varieties. Developing necessary entrepreneurial skills Our East-West Seed, India KT team consisting of 11 women (50% of the total team comprising of 22) reached out to women farmers in 2019 spread across five states - Gujrat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha. The numbers speak for themselves. 51 key women farmers extended training and education in improved agricultural practices in vegetable farming to 6,627 women farmers and reached indirectly to at least 300,000 farmers. In each and every village of the five states, we have selected 13 to 14 Rural Extension Women.
Focusing on nutrition
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