East- West Seed was established in the Philippines in 1982 by Simon Groot, a Dutch agriculturist who saw the need for seeds that were adapted to local conditions in Asia.
At the time, the vegetable seed industry in Southeast Asia was little more than a seed trading system. No one was doing vegetable plant breeding, which involves years of trials, selection, crossing and investment. Simon Groot saw the opportunity for locally-developed hybrid seeds, and all the remarkable characteristics they were known for, like higher yields, better disease tolerance, better shelf life and extended growing seasons.
Together with Glenn Goldsmith from California and tropical agronomist Gerard Grubben from the Netherlands, he founded East West Seed companies in the Philippines and Thailand, and later on, Indonesia and Vietnam. Today, East West Seed Co. distributes seeds in 53 countries worldwide. From Africa to Asia, Australia to America, East West Seed Co. continues to bring farmers better seeds for better yields.
