KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. In fiscal 2016/17, 4,950 employees in 70 countries generated net sales of EUR 1,080 million and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of EUR 132 million. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for more than 160 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for corn, sugarbeet, cereals, rapeseed and sunflowers. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield and resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested EUR 190 million last fiscal year in research and development, 17 percent of its net sales.