As every year, the International Green Week invites to come back to Berlin in 2020. This year Croatia is partnering this event in the heart of the capital, which has been known worldwide and were established 1926. This event is now taking place for the 85th time and this year it will feature around 1800 exhibitors from 72 countries.
Even before the official opening of the fair, some organisations and exhibitors took the opportunity to inform trade visitors and the press and whet their appetite for more in the course of small events.
One event that I visited in advance was the press breakfast of the Initiative Tierwohl – an initiative that already five years ago set itself the goal of improving livestock farming in the interest of animal welfare. This is a new topic for me, even though I have been making sure for many years now that meat is sourced from species-appropriate production. I have written a small article for you, which – I hope – explains what the initiative and its label is all about.
In the evening the time had come – the big opening event of the International Green Week took place on the grounds of Messe Berlin, in the City Cube – Hall B. It was a very impressive event in terms of space – a great deal of effort was put into making sure that every guest could follow the action on stage both visually and acoustically.
To escape the hustle and bustle and the crowds, I decided not to go to the Croatian reception after the opening ceremony, but to attend the traditional flower hall reception in hall 9. It was especially pleasant that one could really breathe deeply here – on the one hand, the guests spread out very well in the rather large hall, on the other hand, the extensive planting contributed to a pleasant climate.
On 17 January, of course, another highlight followed – the organic reception of the BUND Ökologischer Lebensmittelwirtschaft, or BÖLW for short. This is the Berlin-based umbrella organisation of agricultural producers, processors and traders of organic food. The event has a magical reputation and rightly so – here too I have written a small article with a few pictures to give you an impression of the event.
Now it’s already Saturday 18 January and the IGW is in full swing. For the time being I have no further events that I plan to attend at the fair. As soon as my feet have recovered from the sometimes long walks across the exhibition grounds and through the halls, I will take up the offer of Messe Berlin and complete some of the suggested tours.
Depending on what I will experience at the IGW, I will decide whether to add one or the other contribution to this year’s fair. If you have any special suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
So far from me – have fun visiting the Green Week, see you soon.
