Celebrating 50 years of COLEAD

On the 1^st of December 2023, COLEAD celebrated its 50th anniversary in Brussels with 120 partners, directors, former DGs of the association, team members and friends of COLEAD in attendance. Also in attendance virtually, were more than 200 members of the association from 25 different countries, from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. “A perfect illustration of the COLEAD network”, said Jeremy KNOPS, COLEAD’s DG, in his speech. 

COLEAMA was founded 50 years ago at the 46th Brussels International Fair, bringing together those involved in the horticultural trade from African countries, Madagascar and the 6 countries of the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1976, COLEAMA became the Comité de Liaison Europe Afrique Caraïbes Pacifique (COLEACP) under the visionary leadership of its first Director General, Mr Libert Bou. Mr Bou, a senior civil servant, had been appointed by General de Gaulle to move “Les Halles de Paris” from the centre of Paris to Rungis.

On the 1st of December 2023, we celebrated COLEAD’s 50th anniversary in Brussels, along with over 200 members in 25 ACP countries. It was a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to those who have shaped the history of the organisation: our long-term partners – the European Union and the OACPS, represented on this occasion by Leonard Mizzi and Junior Lodge respectively – Albert Delhomme, a founding member of COLEAMA, Catherine Guichard and Guy Stinglhamber, former delegates general of the association. We thank them again for their warm words.

Stephen Mintah, current President of COLEAD, and Virginie Touré, member of the Board, accompanied by Jeremy Knops, current General Delegate, each took their turn to pay tribute to the work accomplished. Thanks, in particular to the commitment of the members and the international team of women and men who make up COLEAD and thanks to its key partners, including most recently AFD, ENABEL and the WTO via the STDF programme.

The 50th anniversary of our organisation was not just a celebration of the association’s past (COLEAMA, COLEACP); we also recognised the future we are building together, from a legacy across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and beyond, with over 140 partner countries today.

After all, COLEACP is 50 years old, but COLEAD is only a year old. So, as all the guests on this highly symbolic anniversary day proclaimed: happy 50th birthday and long live COLEAD!