Agricultural research in Belgium should be considered in its broadest sense: sustainable production, diet and nutrition, food safety, ecology, regional development and landscape management.

Since 2001, the Regions (Walloon, Flemish and Brussels) have been responsible for agricultural policy, which was formerly under Federal authority. The responsibilities include not only agriculture in itself, but also agro-industry as well as natural resources, environment and animal welfare. A few domains remain the responsibility of the Federal State, for instance food chain safety and animal health.

Research policy is managed both by the federal level and at the communities.

1Federal authority

1.1Federal Administrations related to agricultural research

  • Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
  • Federal Science Policy
  • Sustainable Development Department ( French / Dutch)

1.2Funding

  • Federal Science Policy
  • Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (contractual research)

1.3Scientific institutions, research centres and policy

  • Food Agency – AFSCA-FAVV
  • Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models
  • Scientific Institute of Public Health
  • Veterinaryand Agrochemical Research Centre

2Flanders

Flanders’ agricultural research - in its broadest sense - is under the authority of four policy fields of the Ministry of Flanders. Together they host a wide range of scientific institutions, research institutions and policy research centers, and take care of research funding in many forms. Structural funding is given to universities, university colleges, secondary schools, ILVO and experimental stations. Besides, both project funding and the funding of individual researchers is present.

2.1Administrations

  • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (LandbouwenVisserij)
  • Department of Environment, Nature and Energy (Leefmilieu en Natuur)
  • Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (Economie, WetenschapenInnovatie)
  • Department of Education and Training(Onderwijs)

2.2Funding

  • Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen)
  • FlandersInnovationEntrepreneurship
  • Flemish Interuniversity Council – University Development Cooperation

2.3Coordination and advice

  • SALV(strategic advisory board for agriculture and fisheries)
  • VRWI(strategic advisory board for research and innovation)
  • Platform voorLandbouwonderzoek(Platform for agricultural research)
  • Flanders’ Food

2.4AgrolinkVlaanderen

AgrolinkVlaanderen brings together 17 partners in Flemish agricultural research. The consortium offers a wide range of services and acts as a single point of entry for companies and international partners.

2.5Research Centres dealing with Agronomy and Environment

  • Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO)
  • Plant sciences unit 
  • Animal sciences unit 
  • Technology and food science unit 
  • Social sciences unit 
  • Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)
  • FlemishInteruniversityInstituteforBiotechnology(VIB – Vlaams instituut voor Biotechnologie)
  • Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO)
  • Botanic Garden Meise
  • Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ – Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee)

2.6Universities and university colleges

  • Katholieke Universiteit Leuven – Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
  • Centre for Fruit Breeding (Fruitteeltcentrum)
  • Centre forAnimalHusbandry (Zoötechnisch Centrum)
  • Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Ghent University
  • Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • Faculty of Science
  • Information Centre for Apiculture
  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  • Faculty of Sciences and Bio-engineering sciences
  • Universiteit Hasselt
  • Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine
  • Hogeschool Gent
  • Thomas More
  • Vives
  • Odisee
  • Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen
  • UC Leuven Limburg

2.7Experimental stations

  • Inagro(horticulture, animalproduction, arableproduction, organicproduction)
  • Research Centre Hoogstraten (vegetables, strawberry)
  • Research Centre for Vegetable Production(vegetables)
  • PCG – Vegetable Research
  • National Research Centre forChicory
  • Research Station for Fruit(PC fruit)
  • PCS – Ornamental Plant Research
  • Landbouwcentrum voor Granen, Eiwitrijke Gewassen, Oliehoudende Zaden en Kleine Industriegewassen(cereals, proteincrops, oilseeds, small industrialcrops)
  • PCA – Potatoe Research
  • Landbouwcentrum voor Voedergewassen(foddercrops)
  • Flanders Centre of Postharvest Technology (VCBT - Vlaams Centrum voor Bewaring van Tuinbouwproducten)
  • Royal Belgian Institute for the Improvement of Sugar Beet (KBIVB)
  • Coordination centres in animal production
  • Hooibeekhoeve(dairy)
  • Experimental Poultry Centre
  • Coordination of applied research and extension on organic farming in Flanders (CCBT)

3Wallonia and Belgian French Community

In Wallonia, agricultural research – in its broadest sense – is under the authority of the Ministry of the Walloon Region ( which is involved in defining needs and priorities, in evaluating and following up projects and in financing research.

With regard to agricultural higher education, it is under the responsibility of the Belgian French Community ( )

3.1Administration and Funding

Competencies in the agricultural sector rely on different Ministries and General Directorates of the Walloon Region:

  • Directorate General for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (DGO3)
  • Directorate General for Economy, Employment and Research (DG06)
  • Gateway to Agriculture in Wallonia
  • Gateway to Research and Technologies in Wallonia
  • Gateway to Environment in Wallonia
  • WAGRALIM, Agro-industry cluster: destined for industrial and scientific actors in the agro-food sector. It centralizes information on about 80 research groups
  • The Fonds National de la RechercheScientifique finances fundamental research in Research Centres and French speaking Belgian Universities From Wallonia and Brussels (see below)

3.2Research Centres dealing with Agronomy and Environment

  • Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W)
  • Life Sciences Department
  • Production and Sectors Department
  • Agriculture and Natural Environment Department
  • Valorisation of Agricultural Products Department
  • Research Centre for Nature, Forests and Wood (CRNFB)
  • Scientific Institute of Public Service (ISSEP)
  • Rural Economics Centre (CER)

3.3Universities

  • Catholic University of Louvain (UCL)
  • Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering Faculty
  • Science Faculty
  • University of Liège (ULg)
  • Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • Faculty of Sciences
  • Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
  • Faculty of Sciences
  • Bio engeneers School
  • University of Namur (FUNDP-Namur)
  • Faculty of Sciences
  • University of Mons-Hainaut (UMH)
  • Faculty of Science

An exhaustive list of all universities and schools of higher education can be found on the website of the Belgian French Community.

4Brussels

4.1Administrations and Institutes

  • Economics and Employment Administration – General Directorate– Agriculture Unit.
  • Brussels InstituteforEnvironmental Management
  • Brussels Institute for the Research and Innovation (IRSIB-IWOIB)
  • Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique(FNRS)

5Other useful links

  • Belgium: Belgian portal for research and innovation
  • Flanders: overview of research projects