By Dipo Olowookere
Ivory Coast has been described by the GTAI Germany Trade & Invest as the new bread basket of West Africa.
The organisation pointed out that agriculture and the food industry, especially in Abidjan, have been very dynamic for years, both in production and processing.
Both sectors also enjoy a prominent regional position as they also supply the other francophone countries of the region, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Togo and Benin.
It said the increasing demand for food throughout the rather homogenous French-speaking West African market of 110 million inhabitants and the good general economic situation in Côte d’Ivoire continue to offer positive prospects for suppliers of agrofood and plastics, printing and packaging technology.
As a result of this, fairtrade Messe is moving its 5th agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa from Accra to Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast. The event is due on 20 to 22 November 2018 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Abidjan Airport.
Since 2013, the German trade show specialists fairtrade Messe organize agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa in Accra, Ghana.
On the background of favourable economic conditions in Ivory Coast and at the request of exhibitors and associations, the 5th agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa will now for the first time be held in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
agrofood is West Africa’s 5th International Trade Show on Agriculture, Food processing & packaging, Ingredients, Bakery & pastry and Food & Hospitality. plastprintpack is West Africa’s 5th International Plastics, Printing and Packaging Trade Show.
“In the future, agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa could take place alternately, in the even years in Abidjan, in the odd years in Accra, Ghana”, says Martin März, founder & managing partner at fairtrade. “agrofood West Africa covers the entire value chain – from field to fork with the three dedicated events agro & AgroTech West Africa, food + bev tec West Africa and food + hospitality West Africa. The partner event plastprintpack West Africa covers all relevant industries in the plastics, printing and packaging sector.”
Strong international support
agrofood & plastprintpack 2018 enjoys the support of the following international institutions like
adepta French agrofood association & French Embassy Côte d’Ivoire; Germany – German Embassy Abidjan; Italian Embassy Côte d’Ivoire • Netherlands – Agricultural Counselor for West Africa with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and the Turkish Ministry of Economy.
France, the Netherlands and Turkey have already decided to be present at agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa 2018 with official national pavilions.
agro & AgroTech West Africa 2018: New strategic partnership between fairtrade and DLG
DLG German Agricultural Society enters into strategic partnership with fairtrade and brings in its agro and trade fair expertise by introducing its AgroTech brand to agro West Africa 2018 and onwards. The focus of the cooperation lies on agricultural technology, animal production, flori- and horticulture and hot-house technology.
Adedapo Adesanya