Bon voyage!

Medicine or biology?

Her choice of what to study also seems an obvious step: Wavering between medicine and biology, she ultimately opted for plant sciences at Wageningen University, where she majored in plant breeding and genetics. The job opportunities in this field appealed more to her. “I know it might sound high-flown, but I like the idea of helping farmers feed the world.”

The fact that she also thinks of smallholders is due to the stories her father told about Africa, as well as her own experiences during her studies: “Whenever I had a chance to travel, I seized it,” says Kim. The destination while she was doing her Bachelor’s degree was Wales and thus still quite close to home, but when it came to her Master’s, she ventured further afield, completing her internship in Suriname, South America. “The topic was interesting and involved working with farmers on growing organic peppers.” This experience left a lasting impression on her. During her first months at Pop Vriend, it grew into a dream, as she now realized the influence that seed can have on a harvest’s success – even on smallholders’ fields.

After graduating, Kim joined Pop Vriend through the spinach breeder Johan Rijk, whom she knew from her studies and who drew her attention to a vacancy at the company. Kim started working with the outdoor crops spinach, beans, swiss chard, red beet and carrots as a Seed Production Assistant. Some time after Pop Vriend was acquired by KWS, she switched functions and to crops that were not in Pop Vriend’s portfolio: fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, watermelon and melon).

Trips to the production regions

“As a Seed Production Specialist, I accompanied and inspected the seed production we ultimately intend to sell – from sowing it to harvesting – in order to evaluate and ensure its quality and quantity.” Because the seed production is always carried out at locations with the best climatic conditions and seasons, which meant traveling to New Zealand, but also to Denmark or the U.S. “Spinach, for example, needs a certain daylength in order to bolt and produce seeds. It is therefore grown at places that suit its requirements perfectly, but are not necessarily sales markets. Tomatoes, on the other hand, can be grown at the equator all year round and sown every month because the conditions there are always almost identical.”

In her position as a Seed Production Specialist, Kim was in contact with the Supply Planner to determine the required seed quantities for the coming years, and with the breeders “to clarify the technical aspects of cultivating their varieties so I could start a production at the right location.”

She notices that all the more in breeding: “The connection with Einbeck is really good – when we do marker tests, for example, we get the results back after a short time.” And despite the differences in size between Pop Vriend in the past and KWS today, she feels how the family culture lives on. “I went from one traditional family business to another. Both have a clear focus on breeding, while fostering a spirit of openness and a good atmosphere among each other.” While KWS opened up new opportunities in research and development, “Pop Vriend is a good example of how you can build a good breeding program with relatively few people.” Kim still describes KWS Vegetables as “a start-up within the entire company.” However, the new Business Unit is now a steadily growing part of breeding and research. “That’s just right for me. Spain is also an extra adventure.”

Greenhouses visible from space

After the first few weeks in her new country, she is still settling in. “I thought the Netherlands was big in the seed business – until I came to Almería,” Kim says. The province also includes the town El Ejido. “If you look at it on Google maps, it’s all white because of all the greenhouses. It’s really impressive.” Almeria region is one of world’s biggest tomato producing markets with export during the winter season to the whole of Europe.

At first, she went to the beach every day – which is only logical for someone who was born in a country of water like the Netherlands. “It’s really nice to live in a new region and to keep exploring new things on the weekends.” Kim also says she does not miss business trips one bit at the moment. “Because what I liked most was working in greenhouses. I’m in them every day now anyway.”

Will she ever move back to the Netherlands? “No idea,” says Kim. “At the moment I see Spain as my home, but who knows what other country might be in the future? Since I moved, the whole of Europe feels more like a single country.”

She has already made up her mind about where her professional journey will take her: “I’m grateful for the opportunities KWS offers me. In view of climate change and the related challenges, I feel sure I’ll keep on working on interesting tasks moving ahead.” In spite of everything, she believes she can contribute to a hopeful future for many people who still have little access to quality seeds. “I’m working to achieve my dream at KWS.” |