Morocco is guest of honour at International Green Week
This North African country is the first non-European guest of honour at the agricultural trade fair in Berlin.
Wheat and early vegetables, meat and milk, mandarins, pomegranates, olives – and the highly-prized argan oil: from 15 to 24 January 2016, Morocco will be presenting the delicacies produced by its agricultural sector when it is guest of honour at the “International Green Week” agricultural trade fair in Berlin. Food producers from around the world have been exhibiting their wares here for 90 years. Morocco is the first African country to be named the Green Week’s partner country, a decision that highlights the importance of trade relations between Germany and the Kingdom of Morocco: in 2014, Germany imported 221 million euros’ worth of vegetables, fruit and fish from Morocco and in return exported agricultural products worth 279 million euros to Morocco.
Reform of the agricultural sector
The International Green Week is one of the world’s largest food, agricultural and horticultural exhibitions. At the fair, Morocco will show how it plans to develop its agricultural sector and produce larger quantities of higher quality food: over the next few years, Morocco intends to invest roughly 13 billion euros in agricultural businesses. “Plan Maroc Vert” (Green Morocco Plan) is the title of the agricultural modernization and development programme that was adopted in 2008. The strategy includes measures for how to deal with climate change, support smallholders and tap into international markets. 40 percent of the Moroccan population live off agriculture, directly or indirectly. “Being the partner country of the International Green Week 2016 is a wonderful opportunity for us”, says Morocco’s agricultural minister Aziz Akhannouch. “Further extending German-Moroccan cooperation has priority for us.”
The “International Green Week Berlin” evolved from a simple local commodity market. Since 1926, almost 85,000 exhibitors from 128 countries have presented their wares to more than 32 million trade and private visitors. This year, organic foods, bioenergy and the sustainable cultivation of raw materials will be in the spotlight at numerous seminars and congresses.
International Green Week Berlin from 15 to 24 January 2016
