Boerenbond

For the ceramic pattern, see Boerenbont.

Boerenbond

Founded	1890
Head union	Sonja De Becker
Office location	Diestsevest 40, 3000 Leuven
Country	Belgium
Website	Boerenbond.be

The Boerenbond (Dutch; German: Bauernbund, literally "Farmers' Union") is a professional association of farmers, active in Belgium's Flemish and German-speaking communities. Founded in 1890 and based in Leuven, the Boerenbond is an organisation which campaigns for the interests of Belgian farmers.

In the 1920s, it had 100,000 members divided into 1,050 guilds, and it was "intimately connected with the Catholic church". In politics, it was "an important part of the strong Catholic party".

The organisation is politically right-wing and has historically been extremely influential within Christian democratic circles. It has had particular prominence within the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) and Christlich Soziale Partei (CSP) parties.

The Boerenbond competes with the rival Algemeen Boerensyndicaat (ABS) organisation.

List of presidents

• 1890-1925: Joris Helleputte
• 1925-36: Victor Parein
• 1936-40: Gilbert Mullie
• 1940-49: Alfons Conix
• 1949-61: Gilbert Mullie
• 1961-64: Maurits Van Hemelrijck
• 1964-77: Constant Boon
• 1977-81: André Dequae
• 1981-92: Jan Hinnekens
• 1992-95: Robert Eeckloo
• 1995-2008: Noël Devisch
• 2008-15: Piet Vanthemsche
• 2015–present: Sonja De Becker

External links

• Official website
• The Rural Movement in Flanders, 1960-1990 at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• The Flemish rural movement on the move (1960's – 1970's)

• "Belgian Peasants Increased Savings During Occupation", The Wall Street Journal, 22 December 1922, p. 13. (Newspapers.com)