Fairtrade Messe to address food waste through exhibition

For Nigeria to leapfrog to the fourth industrial revolution in agriculture and feeds its growing population, there must be proliferation of new technologies across the value chain to drive production and reduce food loss and waste.

The Managing Director, Fairtrade Messe, Paul Maerz, disclosed this while announcing date for the 7th edition of the agrofood & plastprintpack exhibition and conference in Nigeria, scheduled for between March 22- 24, 2022 at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, in collaboration with the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA).

According to the organisers, the agrofood & plastprintpack Exhibition & Conference provides a networking opportunity for international and local industry players to find solutions and share best practices for managing the complexities of the perishable food system and pharmaceutical supply chain, while adopting new technologies and innovation.

According to Maerz: “This year, more than ever we’re expecting top-level decision makers from the agrofood & plastprintpack industry from all across the country and the region to discuss projects, ideas and business with the exhibitors during agrofood & plastprintpack Nigeria.

“The conference programme organised together with OTACCWA and Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (AHK) will once again be a major highlight during the exhibition,” he added.

Similarly, the president of OTACCWA, Alexander Isong, said “the partnership with Fairtrade is a synergy of purpose because preservation, transportation and storage go hand in hand with agrofood and packaging, especially in an environment like Nigeria with large post-harvest losses. Last year was a great success and we look forward to a better collaboration this year.”

The exhibition will also showcase a wide variety of products ranging from agrofood processing & packaging machinery to food ingredients. 

“This year’s exhibition and conference is all set to become a major international event with registered exhibitors from 14 countries with more to come and will showcase adapted technologies and solutions for the Nigerian and West African market towards more than 2,000 specialised trade visitors in the fields of agriculture, food processing, ingredients, plastics, printing and packaging, and cold chain.

“The exhibition is complemented by a top-level three-day conference featuring more than 40 Nigerian and European experts. It will also feature a panel of discussion led by Nigerian & European experts…..”