b'WHAT MAKES THE VEGETABLE SEED SECTOR SO UNIQUE?THE VIEW OF A SEASONED SEEDSMAN.BY: MARCEL BRUINSWHY IT MATTERS SEED WORLD EUROPE (SWE): MARTIN,seed export is just over $16 billion USD, of The vegetable seedWHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE WORLD OFwhich close to $5 billion for the vegetable seeds, sector plays a crucialSEEDS? a little over 30 %. Of the $5 billion vegetable seed role in global foodMARTIN VAN DER VOORT (MVDV): Iexports, $3.2 billion is done from European coun-security and horticulturalgrew up as the son of a glasshouse grower in thetries (66%). So, it is safe to say that the vegetable innovation, providingNetherlands and at the age of 23, fresh out ofseed sector is a very important segment. high-quality seeds thatcollege, I had to make up my mind on what to do.Europe has always been the cradle of innova-drive productivity, andMy intention was to step into the family business,tion and technological development in this sector, nutritional diversity.but first I wanted to gain some different experi- and the EU breeding sector can have a huge Vegetable breedingences. A friend of mine advised me to approachimpact towards a more sustainable cultivation of focuses on a vastseed companies since they offered jobs in whichcrops. For example, plant pathogens or abiotic array of species, eachyou could travel the whole world free of charge!stresses. Plant breeders continue to develop new requiring specializedWell, that sounded great at that age, and I gotvarieties with resistances to these pathogens and breeding techniqueshired for my first assignment with Sluis & Grootmore tolerance to such abiotic stresses. This means to enhance traits suchin Enkhuizen. Soon, I got fully absorbed by thethere is a much lower need for crop protection as flavour, shelf life,seed industry, couldnt let go for the followingproducts, and a better crop to harvest at the end and disease resistance.43 years and never longed for the family businessof the season. As such, the seed sector has a huge This dynamic sectoragain! And the travelling? That never stopped andimpact on food security.is shaped by evolvingnever bored me. As a company we are working hard on seed consumer preferences,technology, where we apply various treatments, sustainabilitySWE: HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZEsuch as priming, to the seeds. And this allows the challenges, and strictTHE VEGETABLE SEEDS SECTOR? seed to germinate and grow better during the first regulatory frameworks.MVDV: Economically the vegetable seed sectorphase of the plants life. Due to changing regu-Understanding itsis a large market, with a high value. According tolations, we have eliminated nearly all chemical complexities is essentialthe latest ISF statistics, the total value of globalcrop protection products on our seeds. However, to appreciating its impact on farmers, food systems, and the future of sustainable agriculture in Europe. For a better view of Europes vegetable seed sector, Seed World Europe sat down with Martin van der Voort, Sales & Marketing Director at Bejo in The Netherlands to get his take on the specific intricacies of the vegetable seed sector in Europe and beyond. 10ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | MAY 2025'