“That our growers and buyers can now enjoy an evening together would have been unthinkable in the past”

On Friday, 28 March, Ingro celebrated its 20th anniversary. Together with its growers, customers, fellow cooperatives, and organisations, Domein Vossenberg in Hooglede was the setting for an evening of reflection and anticipation. Also in attendance were current Flemish Agriculture Minister Jo Brouns and former minister Yves Leterme. "It was the first time we were able to celebrate such an anniversary with both our growers and our customers. Whereas when we started, this would hardly have been possible, now we were able to enjoy a beautiful evening together," said Luc De Waele of the Growers' Association for Industrial Vegetables.

"The evening kicked off with a reception," Luc continued, "during which the current chairman, Johan Vanneste, myself, Agriculture Minister Jo Brouns, and former minister Yves Leterme took the floor. Yves Leterme was a driving force behind bringing growers together and thus setting up Ingro. A delicious dinner was then served, followed by a performance by comedian Jan-Bart De Muelenaere, who offered a humorous take on West Flanders. The evening concluded with a DJ, which particularly inspired the younger farmers among us to show off some dance moves. We can truly say it was a wonderful evening, just as we had hoped."

From passive to active cooperative
During the evening, there was also time to look back. Ingro was established in 2005 by three founding organisations—REO, Boerenbond, and ABS—all of which remain affiliated with the cooperative today. "The goal was initially to strengthen growers in their negotiations with buyers. But beyond that, it was primarily about securing European subsidies for farmers. As an individual farmer, you couldn't receive European subsidies directly; this had to go through a recognised producer organisation. With the creation of Ingro, we aimed to guarantee those subsidies for our farmers."

Over the years, however, Ingro has become much more than that, according to Luc. "In 2005, we started as a passive cooperative that mainly handled administrative matters. But over time, we've grown into an active cooperative, conducting research and offering guidance and support to our growers wherever needed. We've also seen turnover increase from 40 million euros in 2005 to 155 million in 2024. That corresponds to 530 million kilos of industrial vegetables a year. Today, that's a lot of vegetables produced by a thousand members, around 700 of whom are actively involved."

Chain partners growing closer
Luc has also witnessed many changes over the years. "In the past, buyers were not keen on growers joining forces to strengthen their negotiating position. Now, however, we see that all chain partners have really grown closer. We maintain open dialogue throughout the year, even during price negotiations. I think Friday night was a perfect example of the progress we've made over the last 20 years."

Looking to the future, he hopes this trend continues. "We're seeing more and more challenges in the vegetable sector, so it's essential to learn from and with each other. All chain partners will need to pull together in the same direction if we are to meet these challenges and secure the future of vegetable farming here in Flanders. We especially want to involve younger farmers in this story so that the success can continue for the next 20 years."