Speech by Prime Minister Bart De Wever

Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for giving me the floor at the Agribex agricultural show. A show rich in tradition, organized since 1909. We can truly speak of a centuries-old tradition here.

At the time, nearly a quarter of our working population still worked in agriculture. This proportion surprises us today. However, since the agricultural revolution around 13,000 years ago, the vast majority of humanity has always been active in this sector. This is not surprising: in order to survive, human beings must satisfy two essential needs—protection and nourishment. Shelter and food. Your sector provides one of these most fundamental needs.

We often forget that agricultural innovations were the driving force not only behind the agricultural revolution, but also behind the industrial revolution that began nearly 250 years ago. Technological innovations have made it possible to produce more and more food with less and less labor. The labor thus freed up could be employed in factories, then in services.

The technology presented at trade shows such as Agribex has therefore not only fueled the evolution of the agricultural sector, but also the development of our entire economy.

Today, just over one percent of the working population still works in agriculture. Nevertheless, the sector remains extremely productive, representing an economic value of €5 billion per year. Our food industry, which is heavily dependent on agriculture, adds around €10 billion in value and employs nearly 2% of the working population.

With these historically low employment rates, the importance of the agricultural and food sectors is sometimes underestimated. Many seem to forget that we remain entirely dependent on these sectors to satisfy our most fundamental vital need: having enough food to ensure our survival.
Our agriculture is deeply rooted in our culture. When foreigners stereotype Belgium, they talk about fries, chocolate, and beer. It is no coincidence that these are icons of our agricultural and food industry. Our food culture can therefore be summed up as "the good life." This Burgundian lifestyle is based on a strong food sector. And our farmers and food companies deserve all the praise they get for this.

It is therefore crucial for our society that these sectors are given every opportunity to continue to do business, innovate, and become more sustainable. Administrative simplification, legal certainty, and a smooth and transparent licensing policy are essential in this regard.

Within our federal powers, we are already doing our utmost to contribute to this, with a number of business-friendly measures that also benefit farmers.
More than ever, farmers are entrepreneurs. If we strengthen competitiveness, make our labor market more flexible, and remove all kinds of administrative obligations, this is in the interest of all entrepreneurs, including those in agriculture.

In short: I want to do everything I can to ensure that this country remains a good place to farm and that our agriculture can farm well.

We have all the assets we need to achieve this. Our agricultural sector is one of the most innovative in the world. Throughout history, our farmers have always faced greater challenges than elsewhere because they have to work on a small area, often in close proximity to houses, nature, and recreation. This makes our agriculture much more sustainable and innovative than elsewhere: our barns are equipped with the best technology, our agricultural training programs are among the most prestigious in the world, and our agricultural sector invests heavily in innovation, for example in the field of genetics.

Thanks to this mindset, we can count on ever-higher production in this country with ever-lower energy consumption and less impact on the environment and climate.

It is this competitive advantage that keeps our agricultural sector relevant. It is this competitive advantage that we must continue to exploit internationally.

It ensures sustainability around the world and economic returns here: it's a win-win in every respect.
A trade fair such as Agribex, where the latest home-grown technology is brought to market, is therefore more relevant than ever. As Prime Minister, I therefore felt it was important to be here today to promote our innovative Belgian agricultural products. Because in the field of agriculture, too, this country is more open for business than ever!

Thank you.