International Green Week 2020: Climate-friendly solutions for sustainable development

For the fifth time, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH will be an exhibitor at the International Green Week. Taking the forefront at its stand, which it is sharing with the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), are the topics of climate protection, food security and better working conditions.

GIZ’s motto for Berlin is: ‘Sustainability connects us all worldwide’. Thanks to virtual reality, visitors to the GIZ-KfW stand will have an opportunity to step into the shoes of Ghana’s pineapple farmers. This experience showcases GIZ's Xtra-Pay project, which is supporting pineapple producers in Ghana. In its pilot phase, Xtra-Pay gave supermarket customers in Germany the option of paying an additional 20 cents when purchasing the product – money that went straight to the farmers.

With these and further projects, GIZ is working to reconcile climate protection and economic development. ‘Appropriate income and additional jobs are one aspect. But the sustainable use of resources is also important. This concerns more climate-friendly production methods and worldwide efforts to protect forests, soils and species diversity. This is because the different challenges are interconnected,’ says Tanja Gönner, Chair of GIZ’s Management Board.

On the opening day of International Green Week, Tanja Gönner also signed a voluntary commitment by the companies Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, dm-drogerie markt, Kaufland, Lidl, REWE Group and Tegut. The aim is to deliver living wages so that the families of farmers and workers can enjoy a standard of living fit for human beings. On behalf of BMZ, GIZ is supporting the companies that sign the commitment in implementing the agreement.

This year, the Green Week will be taking place for the 85th time. From 17 to 26 January, more than 1,700 national and international exhibitors will be presenting more than 100,000 products from the food, agricultural and horticultural sectors. Furthermore, the Green Week has also scheduled around 300 specialist events on the latest agricultural policy topics. The Green Week`s partner country for 2020 is Croatia.