Simon Groot has dedicated his life to developing new, more resilient vegetable seeds for smallholder farmers in Asia, Africa and Latin America. His work has helped to provide millions with access to nutritious vegetables and has lifted countless farmers out of subsistence farming.

This week, Groot will be recognized for his work with the World Food Prize, an award given annually to a person who has improved the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

Groot and East-West Seeds – the company he founded – use a variety of breeding methods to develop enhanced seeds.

“Partnering modern science with a long tradition of Dutch seedsmanship has contributed mightily to the growth of the vegetable farming industry of tropical Asia in the last 35 years. Now it is the turn for tropical Africa where again quality vegetable seeds combined with major farmer knowledge transfer programs can create sustainable income for the next generation of African farmers.”