Agriculture and horticulture are intensive and specialized in the Province of Antwerp, a region with more than 3,700 companies in these sectors. More than 20,000 people are employed in agriculture, accounting for 19.2% of the total number of companies and self-employed. Agriculturalists and horticulturists work on 42% of the province’s countryside. “In Flanders, the Province of Antwerp invests in sharing knowledge and insights, creating cooperation and networks as well as supporting animal and greenhouse cultivation test centers,” explains Ludwig Caluwé, member of the Executive Council of the Province of Antwerp, responsible for Economics, International Cooperation and Agriculture. “Our presence at Expo Milano is an opportunity to explore international markets and promote trade relations. That’s why we chose to organize a big international networking event in the Belgian Pavilion during the Antwerp week. We want all our guests to benefit from sharing knowledge and networking opportunities. Not only will they find out about food, but they will also taste the best food products and dishes of our region.”
Program
On July 8 the Province of Antwerp will be hosting seminars in the Belgian Pavilion entitled “Food Safety in Belgium”. Keynote speakers are Philippe Houdaert (Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain) and Ann De Craene (Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives). They will talk about how food safety is guaranteed in Belgium, in animal production and horticulture.
After these presentations there will be a networking event catered by PIVA, the provincial hotel and catering college in the centre of Antwerp. They will treat all guests to a very exclusive lunch, with dishes specially made for this event. PIVA will use regional products combined with vegetables and meat delivered by our major agricultural organizations, some of which will also be present. In doing so PIVA will showcase the top quality of the Belgian food industry and its innovative experiments.
The province is also bringing its best chocolate maker and teacher Jurgen Baert to Milano, winner of the gold medal ‘Pastry Artistik’ at the Culinary World Cup 2014. He will make chocolate creations the entire week in the Belgian Pavilion, including a large number of ‘Antwerp hands’. Moreover, the new chef of the Belgian Pavilion is a former PIVA student.
Algae on the menu
Algae are the organic raw material of the future and an ideal food for cattle feed as well as a source of valuable chemicals. These past years VITO (‘Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek’) has played a leading role in researching and cultivating algae. PIVA chefs have abundantly experimented with growing green algae for consumption, and during the expo green algae will be on the menu.
The Antwerp delegation at Expo Milano 2015:
The Province of Antwerp is the organizer of the international forum in the Belgian Pavilion on 8 July at the Expo Milano 2015. Together with The Development Authority (POM) Antwerp they help entrepreneurs find the perfect business location and continuously create and reactivate industrial estate.
The Antwerp delegation also consists of animal exporters, producers of animal feed concentrates, alternative energy and meat, complemented by two important auctions and our leading research institutes.
• Bens NV specializes in cutting, deboning and packaging quality pork.
• Biolectric NV makes and installs biogas installations.
• Group Noordvlees, specialized in the slaughtering and selling of pig carcasses.
• Huvepharma, a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets human and animal health products.
• Incubel NV Poultry Exports, a producer and reliable exporter of hatched eggs and day-old chicks.
• Sopraco Group NV, one of the main suppliers of meat in Europe, delivers custom meat for mass distribution, chain stores, butchers shops and the hospitality industry.
• Van Lommel, an integrated veal producer, from breeding and slaughter to wholesale and export.
As well as these major agricultural companies, the Antwerp delegation also consists of representatives of the provincial agricultural economy.
Auctions
The Province of Antwerp has two major auctions: BelOrta and Veiling Hoogstraten. Together they have a turnover of more than 580 million euro.
Research institutions
We also brought representatives of our leading research institutions.
KU Leuven is one of the best universities in Belgium, specializing in sustainable food production.
Thomas More University College tries to introduce microalgae and insects as sustainable biomass sources.
VITO is a leading European independent research and technology organization providing innovative and high quality solutions and advice.
Practical research institutions
The Province of Antwerp also has its own research institutions, specialized in practical research and connecting theoretical research with conditions in the field.
The Research Centre Hoogstraten is specialized in glasshouses and strawberry harvesting in open fields.
At the other side of the province there is the Research Station for Vegetable Production, specialized in greenhouses and field vegetables.
With Testcenter Hooibeekhoeve the Province of Antwerp has its own farm specialized in dairy cattle and forage crops.
Finally we have The Experimental Poultry Centre specialized in broilers and laying hens.
“We are looking forward to this very exciting day at the Belgian Pavilion. I hope it can be a start or a reaffirmation of further co-operations between agricultural organizations all over the world, auctions, research centers and the Province of Antwerp,” concludes Ludwig Caluwé.
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