East-West Seed
Strengthening water-resilient vegetable farming
Climate-related water risk: Rainfall variability, drought, soil degradation, and water scarcity affecting smallholder vegetable production
Solution pathway: Farmer training, water conservation, and climate-resilient growing practices
Business type: Global seed company / foundation partnership
Sector: Agriculture and food systems
Geography: Tanzania and wider Global South
In practice
East-West Seed established the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation to help farmers build practical skills in sustainable vegetable production. The foundation works directly with farming communities in countries including Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. It uses demonstration plots, field staff and practical training materials to support farmers with improved land and soil management, seedling production, integrated pest and disease management, nutrient management, and water conservation.Â
This helps farmers grow more reliable crops while using resources more efficiently. It also benefits East-West Seed by strengthening the farming systems and markets that depend on its seeds. The case shows that businesses can help secure water-dependent food production by investing not only in products, but also in farmer knowledge, skills, and adaptive capacity.Â
Why this example was selected
This case study was curated because it shows how a business can strengthen water resilience through farmer capacity-building, not only through infrastructure or technology.Â
East-West Seed’s founder, Simon Groot, received the 2019 World Food Prize for helping millions of smallholder farmers improve incomes through tropical vegetable production. It led the 2019 Access to Seeds Global Index for vegetable seed companies as well as the Access to Seeds Index for Eastern and Southern Africa. The foundation itself has also received Dutch ANBI public-benefit status and works with partners including Wageningen University & Research to develop farmer training materials.Â
Key lesson
Businesses can strengthen climate-vulnerable agricultural systems by combining improved inputs with farmer training on water conservation and resilient growing practices.
