1959The first volunteers from the Belgian national rural youth movement in Flanders head for the Belgian Congo and Rwanda to support local farming projects. 

1964The national rural youth movement establishes Ieder voor Allen (‘Everyone for All’). This development organisation focuses on supporting farms and rural organisations in developing countries.

1985ACT is founded within the Christian Democratic circles. This organisation supports farmers and entrepreneurs’ projects in the Global South.

1990Unizo, the largest organisation for self-employed people in Flanders, creates Form. This is an organisation that provides training to small business owners in poor countries.

1994Ieder voor Allen, ACT and Form create in two phases - Aaron I en Aaron II - a joint venture, looking for more coherence, efficiency and intrinsic value.

2002Ieder voor Allen, ACT and Form merge to create Trias. The first chair is Sabine de Bethune, who will later go on to become president of the Belgian Senate.

2008Boerenbond, the largest farmers’ organisation in Belgium, recognises Trias as an agri-agency in the global network Farmers Fighting Poverty, which has since provided support to more than 300 farmers’ organisations in over 50 countries.

2009Trias employs over 100 people at its headquarters in Brussels and its regional and country offices. Trias’ budget exceeds ten million euros.

2012The programmes run by Trias reach more than one million family farmers and small business owners for the first time.

2013Piet Vanthemsche (former chair of the Belgian Farmers’ Union) and Karel Van Eetvelt (CEO of Unizo) become the first members of the Trias International Advisory Council. Trias updates its strategy to focus on offering support to farmers and business associations.

2014Trias opens country offices in South Africa and Burkina Faso. Trias now operates 10 overseas regional and country offices that are active in 15 countries and spread across four continents.

2015Trias is awarded the prestigious EFQM ‘Recognised for Excellence’ quality label, a first in the Belgian development sector. Herman Van Rompuy, former president of the European Council, becomes chair of the International Advisory Council.

2018Trias’ intervention zones are grouped in 6 regions. This allows for greater flexibility and effectiveness in the implementation of our projects. The efficient use of our 14 million euros budget is monitored by 150 employees.

2019EFQM has recognised Trias' quality policy by adding a fourth star to our label.

2020Franky Depickere was appointed chairman after Philip Mattijs concluded his second and last mandate. His first challenge is to steer Trias through the COVID-19 crisis. Although most Trias offices worldwide are closing their doors, we are bending over backwards to provide our partners with the best possible support during the current pandemic.