The first African Biotrade Festival took place in September 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was organised by the GIZ ABioSA project, the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the Organic & Natural Products Expo Africa, with support from GeoMedia.
The festival celebrated African plant biodiversity and the market potential of ingredients and products derived from it. The focus was on exploring African Biotrade opportunities, emphasizing the importance of sustainable and ethical practices. Key themes and topics covered included:
- Building business support networks and linkages within the Biotrade sector
- Exploring sector development plans for species such as Buchu, Baobab, Honeybush, Marula, and Sceletium
- Discussing access and benefit sharing (ABS) regulatory frameworks
The event provided valuable networking and learning opportunities for producers, suppliers, buyers, investors and other stakeholders: An exhibition of products and ingredients derived from African plant biodiversity included demonstrations and tastings of African Biotrade products. A variety of thematic workshops – e.g. on market access, resource sustainability and financing – helped to facilitate business development a in the African Biotrade sector. An integrated conference addressed the challenges and opportunities of Biotrade, including market access and business support networks.
GeoMedia supported the conceptualisation, preparation and organisation of the festival and conference. During the conference and in several workshops, we provided inputs on biodiversity-based Biotrade and ABS compliant value chain development.
A report with further images from this lively event is available for download below. (English, PDF, 1.3 MB)
The second African Biotrade Festival, which was held in the same spirit and at the same venue in 2025, is the subject of the following video (English, ca. 6 minutes):