Germany-based organiser fairtrade, which runs the agrofood and plastprintpack tradeshows in Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Nigeria, is joining forces with B2B Africa to launch a new event, Virtual agrofood & plastprintpack Africa, 19-22 October 2020.
The new collaboration aims to deliver an expert audience from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda for the four-day digital event designed to bring leading global manufacturers and decision-makers from the African agrofood and plastprintpack industries together through a matchmaking platform backed by secure artificial intelligence.
At the online tradeshow, each exhibitor has a virtual booth showcasing their profile, logo and an image of their stand rep. Exhibitors can disseminate corporate videos, showcase products, interact with visitors via instant video calls and live stream product demos. The event is free to attend for visitors.
There will also be conference sessions, panel sessions and product launches.
Paul Maerz, managing director at fairtrade says: “Virtual agrofood & plastprintpack Africa is a direct response to what our trade visitor network has told us they need – an opportunity to meet with suppliers, source new products, network with existing and new business contacts, as well as a place to be inspired and learn. All this on an African scale. We are delighted to build on our 30 years of experience as organisers of agrofood & plastprintpack events to create a digital platform that serves the African and global community in these unprecedented times.”
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed US$24bn towards agricultural industrialisation. According to the German Engineering Federation VDMA and Africa's agricultural machinery imports amount to over €1.5bn annually, while imports of food processing and packaging technology accounted for €2.97bn in 2018.
Africa has long been one of largest food markets in the world and expenditure in the F&B sector is growing steadily.
According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s annual food imports are estimated to rise from US$35bn to US$110bn by 2025.
Africa is also a huge importer of plastics in primary forms and imports of plastics technology made up for €997.132m in 2018.
Africa’s imports of printing and paper processing technology represented €733min 2018.
