Côte d'Ivoire is becoming the bread basket of West Africa

fairtrade moves the 5th agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa from Accra to Abidjan

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, May 23, 2018/ -- Market update: Good business prospects for the agrofood, plastics and packaging industries in Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa

According to GTAI Germany Trade & Invest of 16 May 2018, Côte d'Ivoire is becoming the bread basket of West Africa (https://goo.gl/kJPmWm). Agriculture and the food industry, especially in Abidjan, have been very dynamic for years, both in production and processing. Further investments will follow. 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.

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.

Reasons enough for fairtrade Messe (www.fairtrade-messe.de) to move the 5th agrofood (https://goo.gl/3wCCtn) & plastprintpack (https://goo.gl/5LKCrC) 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 (https://goo.gl/1iFs3z)  is West Africa’s 5th International Trade Show on Agriculture, Food processing & packaging, Ingredients, Bakery & pastry and Food & Hospitality. plastprintpack (https://goo.gl/y3sLAf)  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: 

• France - adepta French agrofood association & French Embassy Côte d'Ivoire
• Germany - German Embassy Abidjan
• Italy – Italian Embassy Côte d'Ivoire • Netherlands - Agricultural Counselor for West Africa with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Turkey – 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 (https://goo.gl/FPKzzU)  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.

Fact finding mission and symposium by VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery

Germany’s VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery (https://goo.gl/x2WVRP)  organizes a fact-finding mission to Abidjan in the area of packaging and recycling with 5-10 plastic and rubber machine manufacturers.  Within the framework of plastprintpack West Africa 2018, a symposium will then be held so that German machine manufacturers can present their companies and get an overview of the trade fair and the Ivorian market. In addition, there will also be company visits to local processors.

Market update Ivory Coast and West Africa: Good business prospects for the agrofood, plastics and packaging industries

The French-speaking West Africa is a rather homogenous market of about 110 million inhabitants, which is growing by more than 3 million people every year. With the exception of Guinea, all countries use the franc CFA franc, which is linked to the euro. The currency facilitates not only the overseas export of machinery from Europe and Asia to Abidjan, but also the export of food within the French-speaking countries of West Africa.

According to VDMA, the German Engineering Federation, West Africa imported 187.2 million euros of agricultural equipment (https://goo.gl/t4JR39).The main markets in West Africa, apart from Nigeria, are Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Benin, by order of importance.

In the same year, West Africa imported food processing and packaging technology at a value of EUR 557 million (https://goo.gl/YgZ7AM) , a plus of 10% compared to 2015. The Top 3 major West African markets and their share, apart from Nigeria, are Ghana (23%), Ivory Coast (21%) and Senegal (20%).

Also the plastprintpack (https://goo.gl/kApmyB) sector provides great chances for doing business as West Africa imported plastics technology at a value of EUR 143 million in 2016. The major West African market, apart from Nigeria, being Ivory Coast with 34%, followed by Ghana and Senegal.

And West African imports of printing and paper technology amounted to EUR 122 million in 2016. Ivory Coast, apart from Nigeria, ranks first with 33%, followed by Ghana and Guinea.  Last but not least West Africa imported packaging technology at a value of EUR 240 million in 2016. Here again its major market, apart from Nigeria, is Ivory Coast with 30%.  

West African food imports increased by 6% to 14.43 billion USD (https://goo.gl/uyEKLp) in 2015 according to WTO whereas West African food exports rose by 9% to 15.99 billion USD.

www.agrofood-WestAfrica.net

www.ppp-WestAfrica.net

Pictures in high resolution can be requested by email (S.Nitsche@fairtrade-messe.de).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fairtrade Messe und Ausstellungs GmbH & Co. KG.

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Contact for press and media:
fairtrade GmbH & Co. KG
Ms Sarah Nitsche
Public Relations Kurfürsten-Anlage 36
D-69115 Heidelberg
Tel +49 / 62 21 / 45 65 22 Fax +49 / 62 21 / 45 65 25
S.Nitsche@fairtrade-messe.de
www.fairtrade-messe.de

Contact Abidjan:
2A Consulting
Mme Marie-José ASSOUHAN Abidjan,
Angré star 10 Tel : +225 07 84 25 95/ 22 00 81 00
Mariejose.ASSOUHAN@2AConsultingCI.com
www.2AConsulting-CI.com

Contact for exhibitors:
fairtrade GmbH & Co. KG
Ms Leonie Ganser Project Management Kurfürsten-Anlage 36
D-69115 Heidelberg
Tel +49 / 62 21 / 45 65 14 Fax +49 / 62 21 / 45 65 25
L.Ganser@fairtrade-messe.de
www.fairtrade-messe.de

fairtrade - Valuable business contacts
fairtrade (www.fairtrade-messe.de) was founded by Martin März in 1991. Since long, fairtrade ranks among the leading organisers of professional international trade fairs in emerging markets, especially in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Managed by its shareholder and his son Paul März and committed to the values of a family business and the team spirit, fairtrade maintains a powerful network of partnerships throughout the world. fairtrade organizes shows in the sectors Agrofood, Building, CIT Solutions, Energy, Environment, Industry and PlastPrintPack and strives for a high level of customer satisfaction. By means of innovative products and excellent service fairtrade organizes professional platforms for valuable business contacts between exhibitors and visitors. fairtrade is a member of UFI The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and AAXO The Association of African Exhibition Organisers. Our management is ISO 9001:2015 certified. 

2A CONSULTING
2A CONSULTING (www.2AConsulting-CI.com) is a communication consulting agency specialized in events, approved by the Higher Advertising Council (CSP).  It is one of the best event agencies in Côte d'Ivoire, given the quality of its work and experience. 2A CONSULTING has expanded its activities by creating 2A Éditions, a structure specialized in publishing and advertising management, which produces ESPRIT, the first Ivorian Mind Style magazine. 2A Consulting is composed of about fifteen young and dynamic people with between 5 and 15 years of experience in communication and marketing in agencies or with advertisers.

SOURCE
Fairtrade Messe und Ausstellungs GmbH & Co. KG