Intention to organize the Brussels Livestock Show again in 2027

This year, there will be no animals at AGRIBEX and therefore no Brussels Livestock Show with various competitions. The reason for this is the political impasse in the Brussels-Capital Region, which means that no amendments can be made to the ordinance approved by the Brussels Parliament just before the 2024 elections. This ordinance states that the sale, exhibition, and display of animals in the Brussels region is no longer permitted. It is an extension of a previous ban in the context of animal welfare, whereby the government wanted to put an end to the sale of animals (chickens, rabbits, dogs, cats, etc.) at the weekly market. However, the ordinance is so broad that it also affects a trade fair such as AGRIBEX, and because there is no Brussels government, no circular can be written in which the competent minister refines the ordinance. It is understandable that all this has been decided in the context of animal welfare, but AGRIBEX was a textbook example of animal welfare. For years, the Brussels Livestock Show and AGRIBEX have been doing everything possible to apply the most far-reaching animal welfare standards. It is therefore regrettable that in this case, the baby is being thrown out with the bathwater.

This decision for 2024 is the reason for the cancellation of the Brussels Livestock Show, which was a fixture at AGRIBEX and a tradition that had been maintained for more than a century. The Brussels Livestock Show, as it has been renamed in recent years, was an important element at AGRIBEX. It turned the fair into the largest temporary farm in the Brussels region and, for many, a fun introduction to a wide variety of animals. For children, the Brussels Livestock Show was a discovery. Given that the organization of the Brussels Livestock Show requires thorough preparation, the decision to cancel this part of the show was already taken in the middle of this year. And as things stand today in the Brussels government, it does not look as if this decision was taken prematurely. There is still no government and therefore no minister who can send out such a circular. The Brussels government is in a state of limbo and is therefore unable to take any initiative in this area. Nevertheless, AGRIBEX still intends to organize the Brussels Livestock Show again at the next edition. In the meantime, contacts are being made with the government, but we are organizing #WeLoveLocal on the sidelines of the animal show. This part also ties in with an initiative from recent years in which breeders from all parts of the country present the tastiest products, directly from the farm and therefore purely short chain.