Fairtrade Messe, OTACCWA set to hold conference on tackling post-harvest losses

Fairtrade Messe, OTACCWA set to hold conference on tackling post-harvest losses

Fairtrade Messe, a German trade show specialist in collaboration with the Organization for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) is set to host the 7th edition of the agrofood & plastprintpack exhibition and conference in Nigeria.

A series of breakfast meetings have been held in five states of the country as part of sensitization for the forthcoming exhibition and conference alongside the 4th WACCSE scheduled for the 22nd – 24th of March 2022 at the Landmark Centre, Lagos.

The meetings held in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Abeokuta, and Awka brought together stakeholders, exhibitors, and investors who engaged in B2B meetings and open dialogue sessions.

Africa’s biggest economy has seen its food production increase in recent years owing to the government’s renewed focus on agriculture, but not at the same pace as its population.

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

It is on this background, that the agrofood & plastprintpack Exhibition & Conference provides a networking opportunity for international and local industry players to gather 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.

Speaking about the upcoming conference, Paul Maerz, managing director of Fairtrade Messe said: “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 program organized 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, Alexander Isong, the president of OTACCWA, 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 an even 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 two thousand 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.

At the end of the sensitization programmes, the exhibition and summit goals and objectives were communicated with participants to sensitize colleagues in their ecosystem and industry to attend and seek solutions to their business needs.

Business Day
Fairtrade Messe, OTACCWA set to hold conference on tackling post-harvest losses