Mexico City, November 12, 2025 — The King of Belgium, represented by Vice Prime Minister Maxime Prévot awarded Bram Govaerts, Director General of CIMMYT, the Commander of the Order of the Crown—one of the country’s most prestigious honors recognizing exceptional service to the nation and humanity.
As a Belgian national, Govaerts was recognized for his global vision rooted in scientific excellence and international collaboration. Under his leadership, CIMMYT has advanced cutting-edge science, sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate resilience across the Global South, with profound benefits for all nations. Mexico, as CIMMYT’s host country and strategic ally, has played a pivotal role in these efforts.
Since its creation, CIMMYT has benefited over 1 billion people in the Global South through innovations in maize and wheat, dryland crops, and sustainable farming systems. At the same time, CIMMYT’s research also benefits the Global North. For example, the research organization, IFPRI, estimates that 63% of the wheat grown in Europe can trace back to CIMMYT.
This recognition underscored the organization’s role as a trusted partner in agricultural and scientific innovation, global development, and inclusive transformation.
The award highlights Govaerts’ leadership, CIMMYT’s contribution to global agriculture, and the opportunities for collaboration with stakeholders around the world. The award also highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including hunger, climate change, and rural poverty. Belgium’s acknowledgment of Govaerts and CIMMYT’s leadership serves as a powerful testament to the role of science diplomacy in building a more sustainable future.
The award ceremony took place in the afternoon at the Residence of the Embassy of Belgium in Mexico City.
About CIMMYT
CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.
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Nahyane Bakkali, External Communications Manager
Climate adaptation and mitigation 
