Dr Beek has a career in rural development. He started as a plant breeder in Brazil, where he worked 13 years on the development of sustainable more productive varieties for farmers. Back in the Netherlands, he became Director Plant Breeding Department at the Horticultural Seed Company Nunhems Zaden BV. From 1990 until 2003 he worked at the International Agricultural Centre of Wageningen University Research centre, Netherlands. His duty consisted of advisory services and the organisation of international training programmes for developing countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, which were set-up in close co-operation with the private and public sector. Programmes covered e.g.: Horticulture, Plant breeding, Environment-friendly and Organic production technology, Post harvest technology, Certification and quality control, and Marketing. He was more than 25 years engaged in international co-operation with agencies as EU, DGIS, IBRD, IFAD, FAO, IICA, SENTER / EVD, CFC, PUM, etc.
Long term assignments in Latin America, Brazil, in horticultural crops, cereals, potato, and cocoa.
Short term assignments in: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Italy, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Slovak Republic, Tanzania, and Uganda. Missions aimed at the support, of projects in the field of horticulture (vegetables, flowers, and fruits), cereals, potato, onion, groundnut, and tree crops as: fruits, coconut, and cocoa.
Present: consultant “Beek Advisory Services??? (BAS).
Activities: Independent project advice, training and study tours for developing countries. The basic aim of the enterprise is to contribute to a sustainable growth in a changing agricultural sector. It has a focus on how technical, socio-economic, and organisational issues can be handled effectively at relative high levels of productivity