Belgian activity in China has always aimed to realize mutually beneficial cooperation and increase understanding between the two countries. An excellent example of this aim is the collaboration in the field of agriculture between China and Belgium, which has been ongoing for more than two decades.
比利时在中国的活动一直旨在实现互利合作，增进两国之间的了解。这一目标的一个很好的例子是中国和比利时在农业领域的合作，这种合作已经持续了20多年。
For over two decades, the Center for Agronomy and Agricultural Industry of the Province of Hainaut (CARAH) of Belgium and Chongqing have forged a strong cooperation in the field of agriculture. This has resulted in better food security, mutual learning, mutual understanding, and lasting friendships.
二十多年来，比利时艾诺省农业和农工业中心（CARAH）与重庆在农业领域建立了强有力的合作。此项合作给双方带来了提高粮食安全以及相互学习相互理解的机会并从中建立了长久的友谊。
It is in the late 1990s that the Belgian agricultural expert Francois Serneelsfirst visited Wuxi County. Originally, the collaboration was focused on introducing the warning system of CARAH for a plant-disease called late blight, which was seriously affecting potato crops in China. Through the implementation of CARAH’s system, local farmers were far better equipped to tackle and prevent late blight, which greatly improved the crop yields. Since then,CARAH’s warning system against late blight has been adopted by 14 Chinese provinces, such as Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Gansu. In Inner Mongolia, until the Covid interrupted the visits, CARAH was guiding and training the team of the local Senfeng Seed Potatoes Company (SFSPC) and helped in managing its production center for superior quality seed potatoes. Similarly, CARAH has also provided training with regards to potato blight management and organic agriculture to the Zhengzhou Vegetable Research Institute in Henan province.
20世纪90年代末，比利时农业专家Francois Serneels首次访问巫溪县。最初，合作的重点是引入CARAH对一种名为晚疫病的植物疾病预警系统。这种疾病严重影响了中国的马铃薯作物的产量。通过实施CARAH的系统，当地农民在处理和预防晚疫病方面有了更好的装备，从而大大提高了作物产量。从那时起，CARAH的晚疫病预警系统在中国已被内蒙古、宁夏和甘肃等14个省份采用。在内蒙古，在受新冠肺炎影响中断来华访问之前，CARAH一直在指导和培训当地森峰种薯公司（SFSPC）的团队，并协助管理其优质种薯生产中心。同样，CARAH还为河南省郑州市蔬菜研究所提供了马铃薯枯萎病管理和有机农业方面的培训。
From the year 2000 onwards, recurring exchanges have taken place between experts from CARAH, professors and students from both countries to carry out training, and transfer knowledge. Unfortunately, many of these contacts were affected by the closure of Chinese borders during the pandemic. Yet, during this time, seven video conferences on different topics related to potato production were organized by Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences and several video meetings were carried out to continue exchanges and prepare future projects.
从2000年起，CARAH的专家、两国的教授和学生之间反复进行交流，进行培训和知识传授。尽管项目中的许多人受到了疫情期间中国边境关闭的影响，黑龙江省农科院仍然组织了七次关于马铃薯生产不同主题的视频会议，并举行了几次视频会议，以继续交流和准备未来的项目。
On 23 February 2023 in Chongqing, Ambassador of Belgium to China dr. Jan Hoogmartensjoined the experts of Wuxi, Chongqing and Belgium to celebrate and reinvigorate the project post-covid.Representative of Wallonia-Brussels International and Trade, Technology and Investment Consul Mr. Didier Denayer,Agricultural Attachée to the Embassy of Beijing Ms. Annabelle Schreiber, and representatives from Wuxi County government and the Chongqing Agricultural and Rural Affairs Commission gave encouraging speeches. The guests were very touched by the video message sent by the pioneer of the project, Mr. Serneels, and his colleagues Maxime Bonnave and Cyril Vryghem.
2023年2月23日，比利时驻华大使高洋博士和巫溪，重庆以及比利时的专家共同重启双方合作项目。瓦隆布鲁塞尔国际贸易、技术和投资代表德迪业先生、比利时驻北京大使馆农业专员石安妮女士以及来自巫溪县政府和重庆市农业和农村事务委员会的代表纷纷发表了令人振奋的演讲。该项目的领军人物Serneels先生和他的同事Maxime Bonnave和Cyril Vryghem发来的视频也让在场嘉宾们为之动容。
CARAH has also taken part in the trilateral IMPOCHA project, an international collaboration between China, Belgium and South Africa on fungicides’ (which are prevalent in potato production) impact on the environment, and how it can be minimized. The project is also supported by the Belgian government institution Belspo and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Chinese partners include Yunnan Agricultural Academy of Agricultural Sciences, South China Potato Research Center (Enshi, Hubei Province) and the CIP China Center for Asia and the Pacific.
CARAH还参与了IMPOCHA三方项目，这是中国、比利时和南非之间的一项国际合作，目的是将在马铃薯生产中普遍存在的杀菌剂对环境的影响降至最低。该项目还得到了比利时政府机构Belspo和中国科技部的支持。中国的合作伙伴包括云南省农科院、湖北省恩施市华南马铃薯研究中心和国际马铃薯中心亚太中心。
We are very proud of CARAH’s partnerships in China, not only because they have led to impressive improvements for the agricultural industry and better food security in China, but also because it brings together several generations of students, professors, farmers, civil servants, and researchers. These contacts between China and Belgium in the field of agriculture fostered something essential in any relationship between countries: mutual understanding.
中国和比利时在农业领域的合作促进了国与国之间任何关系中都必不可少的东西：相互理解！我们为CARAH与中国的合作伙伴关系感到骄傲，不仅因为它们为中国的农业和粮食安全带来了可观的改善，还因为它凝聚了几代学生、教授、农民、公务员和研究人员的共同努力。
