International Green Week Berlin (IGW) 2019: the world’s leading consumer show for agriculture, the food industry and horticulture will be inviting trade experts to the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, 8 to 27 January 2019

Partner country Finland sends ‘Greetings from the wild’ – More than 1,700 exhibitors from some 65 countries are expected to attend

BERLIN, 16-Aug-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Messe Berlin is setting the scene for the International Green Week Berlin (IGW) 2019. From 18 to 27 January 2019 the world’s leading consumer show for agriculture, the food industry and horticulture will be inviting trade experts and the general public to the Berlin Exhibition Grounds for the eighty-fourth time. This is the first time a northern European country will be represented as partner country of the fair. The focus will be on Finland which, taking as its slogan ’Greetings from the wild’, will present a wealth of local specialities. They include foods from Arctic farming production, types of wheat that grow in sub-Arctic conditions and reindeer meat from Arctic regions. Finland is the EU’s northernmost and most heavily wooded agricultural state. The food products from Finland on display at the Green Week 2019 are from the wild in Lapland, the lakeland region in the middle and the open plains in the south.

Messe Berlin expects more than 1,700 exhibitors from some 65 countries and over 400,000 trade visitors and members of the public to attend the latest edition of the longest-established and busiest trade fair in the capital. Around 200 ministers, minister presidents, secretaries of state and ambassadors from Germany and abroad will also be present, reflecting the importance of the Green Week as an agricultural policymaking event.

The Davos of agriculture

The main conference event will be the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2019 (17 – 19 Jan.) under the heading of ’Digital agriculture – Intelligent solutions for tomorrow’s farming industry’. The highlights of the three-day conference will be the 12th International Conference of Agriculture Ministers, the 11th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Summit and the 11th International Forum for Food and Agriculture. Around 70 ministers of agriculture and high-ranking members of the food and farming industries are expected to attend the world’s leading agricultural policy conference. Some 300 conferences and seminars for experts will also take place at the Green Week, including the 11th Forum on the Future of Rural Development (23 – 24 Jan.), the Biofuels Conference (21 – 22 Jan.) and the Freshness Forum Meat (18 Jan.).

Experience the Green Week

The Green Week 2019 provides an overview of the world’s food markets and the largest display of specialities from every local German region. Topical trends including superfoods, alternative protein sources, street food as well as products for vegetarians and vegans will round off the event. The Bio Hall, with its displays of organic foods, the WEINWERK and the stand of the Hamburg-based Fish Information Centre will reflect the wide range of products at the fair.

Germany’s federal government will be strongly represented. At the special show entitled ’Agriculture at the heart of society’, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture will have information on a modern and sustainable farming and fishing industry, rural areas as a place to live and work in, and advice on correct food handling and consumption. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will demonstrate that everyone’s daily food purchases can help to alleviate global hunger. In 2019 the Federal Ministry of the Environment will be back at the Green Week with its own stand.

The Farm Experience will provide visitors with an insight into many different topics, including animal husbandry, plant protection and hi-tech farming practices. With a wide range of animals on display, the Livestock Hall (25) will be the place to head for breeders and visitors alike. In 2019 the focus will be on horses. From 18 to 20 January the FN Federal Sport Pony Exhibition will be taking place in the large arena. From 24 to 27 January HIPPOLOGICA, Berlin’s largest indoor equestrian event, will be attracting the crowds, which will be able to watch four fascinating horse riding disciplines from the grandstands, including Class S. In the Livestock Hall visitors can also get a good view of polo events, and Hall 26 will come alive with house pets of all shapes and sizes.

Hall 4.2 will be devoted to the topic of rural areas. Under the slogan of ‘Keen on the country’, exhibitors will present their ideas for villages and regions worth living in. Hunting will feature in all its many aspects and an adventure trail will be presented in a natural biotope. The Special Show on Renewables will highlight items that can currently be manufactured using vegetable raw materials, and at the Show on Multitalented Wood the focus will be on sustainable forest management.

In the middle of the cold, dark winter months the horticultural section at the Green Week will fascinate visitors with its thousands of flowering spring plants inside the Floral Hall, which has been designed by Landgard. Berlin’s allotment holders will highlight the importance of their ’green oases’ in the heart of the city, and the Horticultural Association (ZVG) will present a wide range of topics on horticulture in Germany.

Attractions for trade visitors

No other event plays host to so many exhibitors with such a diverse display of international and regional German products. In particular, small companies offering regional products are an attractive proposition for the retail food sector in areas where the market is looking for drop shipment business in regional and traditional products.

This will also be the topic of the Regional Star 2019 Awards, which will be presented on 22 January at the Green Week. At this event the trade magazine ’Lebensmittel Praxis’ and the Green Week will honour the most convincing concepts for sustainable trading, industry and agriculture at regional level. The deadline for applications is 5 October 2018. For information and application forms please email bettina.roettig@lp-verlag.de, or call on +49 (0)2631/879131.

At the Professional Center (21 – 25 Jan.), away from the bustle of the fair, buyers, retailers, caterers and F&B managers can savour the regional specialities on offer from producers at the national and international displays. On 21 January a food quality and food safety event organised by the IFS (International Featured Standards) will be taking place here. These standards aim to ensure that products and services from certified companies comply with customers’ demands and legal requirements in the countries destined to receive them.

On 23 and 24 January the Startup Days will have surprises in store for representatives of the retail food sector. Following the successful launch of this format at the Green Week 2018, Messe Berlin aims to provide the most original and interesting food startups with a platform and an opportunity to kickstart unusual business models.

Impressive trade fair statistics

The 84th edition of the Green Week will be looking back on a past spanning 93 years. Since its launch in 1926 around 90,000 exhibitors from 130 countries have presented their wide-ranging products from all over the world to over 33.3 million trade visitors and the general public alike.

The International Green Week Berlin 2019 is organised by Messe Berlin GmbH. Its non-commercial sponsors are the German Farmers’ Union (DBV) and the Federal Association of the German Food Industry (BVE).

SOURCE: Messe Berlin

MEDIA CONTACT

Emanuel Höger
Press Spokesman
Head of Press and PR
Messe Berlin Group
hoeger@messe-berlin.de