Our Team
Our team is made up of three agricultural engineers who studied in Gembloux, Louvain-la-Neuve, and Huy. Passionate about hazelnut cultivation, we conducted three consecutive years of research on the subject. At the end of this period, the Agronuts company was founded.
Benoît GENIN
Managing Director
Benoît mainly handles the commercial and financial management of the company. He is also a farmer and manages his own hazelnut orchard of around 12,000 trees. He represents the sixth generation on his family farm. Initially focused on pig farming and field crops, he later turned to hazelnut cultivation.
Mélanie FAVEREAUX
Administrative Manager
Mélanie is responsible for administrative tasks such as certification management, logistics, partnerships, and more. She is also actively involved in research and development to constantly improve our services.
Pierre-Olivier BONHOMME
Agronomic Manager
Pierre-Olivier is in charge of agronomic research and, most importantly, provides his expertise in orchard design and follow-up. Passionate about forestry and arboriculture, he also works for the Royal Forestry Society of Belgium, where he continues to gain valuable experience.
Our Story
It all started in 2015 during a trip to Italy, where Benoît discovered the idea and desire to develop a hazelnut business. Real research began in 2019. To delve into this little-known crop in Belgium, Benoît sought the help of Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme (with vast experience in forestry and arboriculture), who immediately agreed to take on the challenge. Benoît also passed on his passion for hazelnuts to his wife Mélanie, who joined the adventure.
For three years, the trio studied hazelnut cultivation extensively, through numerous trips to countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland, and more. In parallel, Benoît and Mélanie planted 20 hectares of hazelnuts on their farm in Sart-Saint-Laurent, in the province of Namur. They first planted one hectare as a trial before expanding by 19 hectares the following year. This initial plot allowed them to gain practical experience and avoid mistakes when scaling up. If a treatment (pruning, soil management, fertilization, pest control, etc.) didn’t work, it was adjusted for the rest of the orchard the next year.
After many trips to Italy, a partnership was formed with an Italian agronomist who owns a hazelnut nursery. Through this collaboration, the three agronomists gained extensive experience and set up trials to improve orchard productivity (plant spacing, biological pest control, etc.).
In 2022, the company was officially born with the strong desire to provide high-quality hazelnut plants that lead to productive orchards. Choosing the right plant is crucial—after all, a hazelnut orchard can remain productive for over 100 years! We are committed to controlling all stages of plant production. Thanks to our partnership with our Italian nursery, we ensure varietal authenticity by personally overseeing every step of the process—from mother plant to propagation to final delivery.
By 2024, we had already planted 100 hectares of hazelnut orchards in Belgium.
This is just the beginning of our journey!
Our Mission
The hazelnut sector has huge potential in Belgium. Demand for dried fruits is rising, and both consumers and processors are seeking high-quality, local products. Meanwhile, major producer countries like Turkey and Italy are seeing declines in their production due to climate issues, rising input costs, and labor challenges.
Thanks to our in-depth experience and knowledge of hazelnut farming, our mission is to support project developers wishing to launch into this sector, by providing high-quality plants and expert advice.
Our Values
Our goal is to relocalize hazelnut production in Belgium while respecting the three pillars of sustainable development.
We care deeply about the environment and strive to develop orchards that meet specific standards for long-term soil sustainability. We promote organic orchards with inter-row cover crops to boost biodiversity. We also encourage the planting of hedgerows at field borders, which offer ecological benefits and serve as windbreaks for hazelnut trees.
We want to make hazelnut farming accessible to anyone interested, offering a new source of income.
Lastly, we aim to rebuild the connection between processors (such as chocolatiers and biscuit makers) and consumers by offering a premium-quality product.
