http://www.organic-europe.net/country-info-netherlands.html

While working on farms in Europe, a common question was why Dutch produce was dominating the supermarket, especially with products that are easy to grow –bell peppers in Hungary, tomatoes in Italy– and arguably better tasting when grown locally in those countries.

In addition to this market domination in produce, the Dutch are also specialized in seed breeding. While most people are familiar with Monsanto and problems of patenting and licensing seeds in the United States, not many know what is happening in the “SEED VALLEY.” While I consider rural heritage in the coming weeks, the role that the Dutch agricultural business plays on the European scene is worth looking into.

http://www.greenportnhn.nl/zaadveredeling-1

http://www.limagrain.nl/web/Algemeen/Bedrijf.htm

For more information  and the Dutch position, revisit Philip Howard’s graph: https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/seedindustry.html