DLG and fairtrade enter into a strategic partnership for Africa

The DLG (German Agricultural Society) and the German trade show specialist fairtrade will work together on four central agricultural markets in Africa. This is what the two trade fair organisers have agreed with a cooperation agreement already signed in November 2017 at the AGRITECHNICA trade fair in Hanover.

According to a press release by the two organisations, DLG will bring in its agro and trade fair expertise by introducing its trade fair brand AgroTech to the existing agro-food trade fairs (agro segment) of fairtrade in Ethiopia and Nigeria, as well as in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Cooperation will focus on the fields of agricultural technology and animal production. One major objective of the cooperation is to offer German and international exhibitors platforms for their market development, thus enabling sustainable development of these agriculturally important emerging countries.

In order to attract new visitor groups, such as the so-called large-scale farmers from the four countries and their neighbours, a regionally adapted DLG specialist programme will be set up or expanded. With the support of industry experts, know-how along the entire value-chain of plant production will be transferred into these regions.

Ethiopian and Nigerian trade fairs in the focus

Both Ethiopia, the world's leading producer of coffee, corn and millet and its vast integrated agro-industrial parks, and Nigeria as Africa's largest economy, and with 190 million the continent's most populated country, are experiencing strong demand for innovative technologies for agricultural production. This applies equally to other West and East African markets. Above all, solutions for more efficient irrigation and plant protection are on the agenda of politics and practicing farmers in the field of crop and agriculture.

"The economic potential for innovative agricultural technology for sustainable plant production in Africa is steadily increasing”, said Jens Kremer, business developer at DLG. “We would like to be part of the positive development in this region and thereby support German and international companies with suitable mechanisation concepts to open up these emerging markets. Because here, too, we want to support the region in the advancement and modernisation of agriculture, true to the principles of the DLG. "

Martin März, fairtrade's founder and CEO noted in the release: "For several years politicians and decision-makers have stepped up their efforts to expand and modernise agriculture and food production in sub-Saharan Africa, and the international community is ready to support this development.”

März added, that the decline in oil revenues had led to a revival of local production and the "made-in ..." trend. Double-digit sales figures showed that sub-Saharan Africa is investing heavily in agricultural and processing technology for the purpose of increasing yields, reducing immense post-harvest losses and reducing imports.

Since fairtrade has been working in Africa for twenty years, the organisation has recognised the enormous potential at an early stage and has solid market knowledge. “Beside fairtrade is one of the most important organisers of agro-food trade fairs on the African continent” März noted and added that fairtrade was looking forward to further developing the agro events of the agro-food shows in close cooperation with DLG as the world market leader for agricultural fairs.

(Fairtrade/DLG/wi)