Union Nationale des Agrobiologistes Belges

About Union Nationale des Agrobiologistes Belges

The UNAB (Union Nationale des Agrobiologistes Belges) is the professional union for organic farmers in Wallonia, Belgium. Founded in 1984 by and for organic growers, it represents more than 250 members and says it is officially recognized by the Walloon government as the voice that explicitly defends the organic sector.

Its work combines advocacy, technical support, project development, and sector promotion. UNAB positions organic farming as a productive model that protects water, soils, biodiversity, animal welfare, farm autonomy, and climate, while also helping consumers better understand the value of organic food and farming.

The organization works from Namur with a permanent team and a board made up of organic farmers. It is active in policy discussions, producer group creation, filière development, and public events such as the "En Terre Bio" pavilion at the Libramont agricultural fair.

Core Values

• Organic integrity: UNAB defends a clearly organic model, emphasizing standards such as no synthetic pesticides, no chemical nitrogen fertilizers, no GMOs, and mandatory outdoor access for livestock.
• Environmental protection: The organization highlights organic farming’s role in protecting water, soils, biodiversity, and climate, and in reducing pollution and nutrient losses.
• Farmer autonomy and fairness: UNAB promotes farm autonomy, remunerative prices, and stronger bargaining power for organic producers across the supply chain.
• Animal welfare: It presents organic livestock rules as a meaningful improvement in animal welfare, especially through outdoor access, lower stocking densities, and reduced medication use.
• Practical, field-based action: UNAB stresses concrete projects, daily support, and a pragmatic approach rather than declarations of intent alone.

Unique Aspects

• Official Walloon recognition: UNAB says it is recognized by the Walloon government as the sector body that explicitly and directly defends organic agriculture.
• Long-standing organic-only focus: Created in 1984, it has remained focused exclusively on organic farming, which it presents as a source of clarity and legitimacy in policy debates.
• Biogarantie involvement: UNAB is one of the organizations jointly managing the Belgian Biogarantie label, which goes beyond EU organic rules and now includes Belgian-local and remunerative-price criteria.
• Strong sector presence: The association says it represents more than 300 organic farmers and is active in more than 10 boards and monitoring committees, giving it broad institutional reach.
• Concrete filière-building work: UNAB has helped create and follow producer groups and has been involved in projects such as organic pork and beef groupings, showing a hands-on role in market structuring.