Cooking Together For A Healthy Future In Ghana
10 February 2026, Ghana: At Rijk Zwaan, we believe in sharing more than seeds. Through our Development Cooperation Committee (COS), we work with local partners in Ghana to encourage vegetable consumption and teach young growers how to work with modern techniques.
While listening to Kees van Maaswaal talk about his journey to West Africa, you immediately feel his passion for development cooperation. “I didn’t know how quickly I should say yes,” he says, recalling the moment he was asked 25 years ago to join Rijk Zwaan’s Development Cooperation Committee (COS). Since then – both during his working life and after his retirement – he and his colleagues have dedicated themselves to projects that are not about profit, but about people. Humanitarian, sustainable, and with a clear mission: contributing to a better world through horticulture.
From idea to impact
It all started more than 25 years ago with a vision from Maarten Zwaan: as Rijk Zwaan, we can do more than simply sell seeds. We can use our knowledge and resources to help low income countries move forward. Not by donating without a plan, but by developing projects that help people become self reliant. This concept grew into COS, a committee that meets regularly to evaluate ongoing projects and explore new opportunities.
Projects that make a difference
One of the recent projects takes place in Ghana. There, COS works with local partners to stimulate vegetable consumption. “In West Africa, the cuisine is often focused on meat. So creating a market comes first – making vegetables trendy and appealing to consumers,” Kees explains. That’s how the Ghana Food Movement emerged, an organisation that organises workshops and dinners. The goal? Showing how delicious and versatile vegetables can be. They begin with the elite, hoping the middle class will follow, says Kees.
With support from COS, the Ghana Food Movement develops recipes and hosts cooking workshops and dinners for a broad audience, from top chefs to growers. Recently, they also set up a professional kitchen – financed by Rijk Zwaan and Tony’s Chocolonely. The Ghana Food Movement is not a stand alone initiative: it connects growers, chefs and consumers. Local farmers supply fresh vegetables, while chefs learn how to use them creatively. In this way, a value chain emerges in which everyone benefits.
More than just seeds
Rijk Zwaan provides more than seeds; we also share knowledge. In Ghana, for example, COS supports training centres by donating seeds. Here, young growers can learn to work with modern techniques. “What’s great is that these young people see opportunities,” says Kees. “Instead of leaving for Europe, they build a livelihood and their own business.” In an earlier project in Guatemala, this approach worked extremely well. COS established a horticultural school where growers received a certificate upon completing the programme. With this certificate, they were able to secure a loan from the bank to build a greenhouse. This creates a sustainable income model that strengthens the entire community.
Why this matters
Although these projects are local, they create a ripple effect. They improve food security, create jobs, strengthen knowledge and promote healthy eating. But perhaps most importantly: they offer people perspective.
About COS
COS was founded in 1999 by Maarten Zwaan on the occasion of Rijk Zwaan’s 75th anniversary. Through COS, we support initiatives that help people earn a better income and enjoy a more varied diet. We do this by collaborating with local NGOs and distributors, and by investing in projects with funding, seeds and expertise. Currently, there are COS projects in Guatemala, Peru, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. COS focuses on long term guidance towards self reliance rather than large scale donations.
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