Tradition and innovation at International Green Week

Now taking place for the 82nd time, the International Green Week Berlin 2017 (IGW) provides an overview of the worldwide food industry as well as the largest range of regional specialities to be found at any trade show. In addition it offers a unique display by agriculture and horticulture along with numerous attractive shows dealing with specialist topics. Hungary is the partner country of the IGW 2017 and is taking part for the 45th time since 1972. A total of 1,650 exhibitors from 66 countries will be inviting the public to experience their products, which also include luxury foods and beverages. With its many exhibits aimed at the professionals, backed up by a programme of conferences, this event serves the entire agricultural sector as a source of information and contacts. All 118,000 square metres of available hall space at the Berlin ExpoCenter City, located around the city’s radio tower, the Funkturm, are occupied. Messe Berlin, the organisers, expect some 400,000 trade visitors and members of the public to attend the ten-day event.

Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Berlin GmbH: “A meeting place for the leading figures in international agricultural policy and a unique experience for the general public: This year the Green Week will again fulfill this dual role. This is where tradition and innovation meet. The fascination exerted by the Green Week attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and brings the representatives of international agribusiness to Berlin. It is this combination of a trade show and an event for the general public that has ensured the continued popularity of the Green Week since it its inception in 1926.“

At the heart of the conference programme is the 9th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2017 (GFFA), from 19 to 21 January. Organised by the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture, its keynote subject is ‘Agriculture and Water – the Key to Feeding the world’. At this, the world’s pre-eminent conference on agricultural policy, some 70 ministers of agriculture and deputy ministers, leading representatives of agriculture and the food industry, as well as key international figures from politics, business, science and civil society, will be discussing some of the most pressing issues facing humankind. In addition a meeting of the ministers of agriculture of the G20 nations will be taking place on 22 January in Berlin. In July Germany will host the G20 summit, to be attended by the heads of state and of governments of the 20 leading industrial and emerging nations, who will be addressing various financial and economic questions. This event will be preceded by a series of ministerial meetings, including one to be attended by ministers of agriculture.

The German government is particularly well represented this year. The traditional show organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Hall 23a will focus on ‘Agriculture at the Heart of Society’. Meanwhile, in Hall 5.2a, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Ministry for the Environment have chosen as their topic ‘Fair living conditions, fair consumers and fair trade’.

The opening ceremony of the 82nd Green Week will take place at 6 p.m. on 19. January at the CityCube Berlin. Hungary, the partner country, is responsible for the supporting programme and subsequent reception for some 3,600 invited guests from 100 countries. Visitors to the Green Week can learn more about the land of the Magyars in Hall 10.2, as well as sampling the many Hungarian delicacies available there. In 2017 the slogan of the Hungary hall is ‘Rich in tradition, diverse, natural: Hungary’.

The International Green Week Berlin 2017 is organised by Messe Berlin GmbH. Its non-commercial sponsors are the German Farmers’ Union (DBV) and the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE).

For more information:
www.gruenewoche.com