“Léon Broers is handing over a well-tended field”

Mr. Büchting, up to now you’ve been in charge of Cereals, Human Resources and Farming on the Executive Board. Is research and development new ground for you?

FxB: On the contrary. The clear focus of my university studies was on plant breeding: I studied agrobiology at Hohenheim and gained my doctorate in the field of breeding. I’ve followed developments in plant breeding with keen interest since then. Thanks to my career to date and, of course, my responsibilities on the Executive Board, I’ve acquired a clear understanding of how all the areas of a company intermesh and how our colleagues can contribute to our company’s success, each in their own way. I’m now looking forward very much to taking charge of research and development. Léon Broers is handing over a very well-tended field: He has vigorously driven modern plant breeding at KWS over the past 15 years. Some 500 variety approvals last fiscal year are just one of the impressive results. We also have a well-filled product pipeline that will underpin our success in the years to come. Not least, Léon Broers initiated the reorganization of Research and Development and thereby laid an important foundation for the future.

Mr. Broers, those are truly great accomplishments. Could you let us into your recipe for success?

LB: My recipe for success is: good people and hard work! I was a handball goalkeeper in the Dutch national league and youth international team. So I soon grasped that you can only succeed by working as a team. I always knew where to put people so that we as a team reaped the best results. I’ve carried over that insight from sports into my job. I feel that discussion and frank dialogue are also important. You have to gather people around you who are different from you and don’t just repeat what you say. That’s not always easy, but it’s the only way to make progress. Success is therefore not only up to you alone, but everyone involved – in this case our colleagues from Research and Development, whom I wish to congratulate on their fine work.

What is vital so that KWS keeps playing in the “Champions League,” as you said at the All Hands Meeting in Einbeck at the beginning of November?

LB: It’s important for KWS to remain a player in research and development at the international level and keep in close contact with the best scientists worldwide. That enables us to keep in step with the times and also to recruit more and more talents from a wide range of different countries. That diversity is invaluable. Establishment of the KWS Gateway Research Center in St. Louis marks a key milestone for me. We also need to intensively address the whole range of breeding methods and keep pace with very dynamic developments. It’s also important for us in research and development to live a culture that enables all colleagues to pitch in and contribute their own ideas. They’re allowed to make mistakes in that, and giving and receiving feedback is also part and parcel. That creates an open atmosphere of creativity and trust and helps us achieve results together – and that’s what counts! That’s best summed up by the slogan for the new organizational structure of Research and Development: “Joint Responsibility.”

Mr. Büchting, could you please outline the current environment KWS operates in as a plant breeding company?

FxB: Agriculture faces huge challenges in the coming years and decades: The world’s growing population needs enough good-quality food, yet global cultivation area will remain roughly the same. That means that less and less area per capita is available for farming. And that yield per hectare has to increase if everyone is to have enough to eat. Society is increasingly demanding sustainable agriculture, and that’s also necessary if we want to conserve our planet’s resources for coming generations. The EU’s Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy are responses to those demands: The goals include using less chemical pesticide and fertilizer and preserving biodiversity on fields.

What does that mean for KWS?

FxB: This environment is both a responsibility and an opportunity for KWS: A responsibility because we as seed providers stand at the beginning of the agricultural value chain and therefore help supply people with food. However, I also see a great opportunity for us as a seed specialist to be able to deliver relevant solutions to the challenges we’ve just mentioned with our varieties and services. Our mission is to develop high-performance varieties that safeguard yield per hectare, are resistant to pests and diseases or tolerant to drought stress, and are nutrient-efficient. Thanks to our broad portfolio, we enrich the crop rotation cycle and ensure more diversity on fields. We intend to achieve a broader footprint here in the future. At the same time, we’re developing biological means of seed treatment to improve field emergence. And last but not least, we’re expanding our range of digital tools that help farmers achieve good results with our varieties. As you see, the future harbors many opportunities for us as a plant breeder.

Mr. Broers, why should a budding breeder or researcher be interested in KWS?

LB: The values KWS has evolved over its 165-year history are ideal for researchers and breeders. I believe that’s the true secret of KWS’ success. Independence, for instance, gives us the freedom we need in research. Foresight ensures continuity and staying power, without which many projects would be doomed to failure. And there are further arguments. Our technical equipment is state of the art and is constantly modernized and expanded: R&D expenditure in the last fiscal year exceeded €250 million. Last, but not least: Our products are truly meaningful for people. We bear responsibility for helping make agriculture sustainable, and we contribute indirectly to food security. I can therefore only advise every graduate: Take a look at KWS!

Research and Development is to keep on growing and deliver the desired results. How is it possible to control such a large organization?

FxB: The reorganization of Research and Development, which previous issues of insideKWS have reported on, is the answer. More than 2,000 colleagues worldwide now work in R&D. Such a large organization needs a management team that ensures continuity, yet also brings in new ideas from outside. Our R&D Leadership Team with its excellent members will assume that function. However, we also need to strengthen the work culture Léon Broers described, i.e. awareness for our joint responsibility, and familiarize new colleagues with it. Enthusiasm for innovation, a willingness to keep on taking new paths, and the quest for the right solution – all that has impressed me in my talks so far with our colleagues and gives me optimism that we’re a strong R&D team that is excellently equipped to tackle the challenges ahead of us. I look forward very much to working together with them!

Mr. Broers, you’re leaving the Executive Board, but will still be staying with KWS. What are your plans for the coming years?

LB: First of all, I’d like to thank all our colleagues in Research and Development for the magnificent time they’ve given me. I’ve gotten to know many wonderful people at KWS and can hardly believe how fast time has flown. I was able to be part of many exciting projects – there wouldn’t be enough space here to list them all. I’m therefore all the more delighted that I’ll be staying with KWS for a long time to come and running Vegetables, our youngest Business Unit, together with Paul Degreef. I was previously in charge of breeding in Europe together with Paul in our days at Nunhems, so it’s “back to the roots” for me and not “adieu,” but “tot ziens” – see you soon! |