Philipp Keil, Managing Director of the SEZ, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, Ambassador Albert Shingiro, Agriculture Minister Peter Hauk, Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir cutting the anniversary cake (from left to right). Photo: SEZ/Fotonoid.
Ceremonial opening of Fair Trade and the AMAHORO! anniversary year
This year there was double reason to celebrate at the spring trade fairs: the opening of Fair Trade with a focus on resource justice and the 40th anniversary of AMAHORO! State partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, Ambassador Albert Shingiro, traveled with a delegation for this occasion.
In the hall too, everything at the Fair Trade Fair revolved around resource justice. From April 4th to 7th, exhibitors showed what fair handling of raw materials and production in the areas of fashion, food and handicrafts is. Those thirsty for knowledge and those who enjoy playing got their money's worth at the FAIRchange market.
Anniversary cake with the taste of the state partnership
At the opening of the Slow Food and Fair Trade Fair, opening speaker Cem Özdemir and Agriculture Minister Peter Hauk, who, as a Baden-Württemberg government representative, handed over a special cake to Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro, also congratulated. Vegan and locally produced by Café Kuchenliebe from Stuttgart with local spelled and a cream made from passion fruit and coffee, the cake was a symbol of what the AMAHORO! What makes partnership what it is: the exchange between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi.
The offers of Fair Trade
The state development policy conference on the Saturday of the trade fair also dealt with resource justice and the AMAHORO! State partnership and formulated demands on state politics. Fair trade always combines specialist events in development policy as well as participatory offers relating to global learning and thus contributes to networking and visibility of global sustainability issues. In the areas of future fashion and fair trade, certified and tested exhibitors offer concrete product alternatives to fast fashion and waste of resources. Trade fair visitors were also invited to become active themselves: repair cell phones in the Repair Café or create future fashion themselves using upcycling and design techniques at DIY Sunday at the Future Fashion Forum. The new traveling exhibition “AMAHORO Burundi – partner country full of facets” was shown at the trade fair for the first time. After the successful completion of the fair trade rally, to which the development policy education actors invited, a competition offered great prizes from the exhibitors.
Thanks to all exhibitors and participants at Fair Trading 2024!