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As the biggest garden and barbecue trade fair in the world, spoga+gafa 2024 will shed light on the importance of responsible and sustainable practices in gardening with the theme Responsible Gardens. The trade fair, which will take place June 16-18 in Cologne, Germany, will shine a light on the different levels of responsible behavior in and around green spaces from the point of view of manufacturers, supplies and consumers.
The new key theme is a continuation of the trade fair’s past key themes, which have been based on current industry developments and socially relevant topics since 2017, says Stefan Lohrberg, director of spoga+gafa.
“In an increasingly connected world, where individual actions can have a far-reaching impact, the role of personal and collective responsibility in meeting global challenges becomes more and more important,” Lohrberg says. “That means we have to consider the effects of our decisions for the community and the environment. Manufacturers, the trade, consumers—we all have to be aware of the impact of our actions.”
Oftentimes, the idea of responsibility is associated with sustainability, but Lohrberg says the trade fair hopes to expand people’s understanding of responsibility within the home improvement and outdoor living space. The Responsible Gardens theme will be addressed at different levels, from social challenges to health aspects to actual garden and outdoor products.
“In our opinion, responsibility is much more. On the one hand, it contributes towards minimizing environmental impacts, reducing the consumption of resources and maintaining ecological diversity,” Lohrberg says. “On the other hand, it promotes social justice and economic stability because it aims to bring about a balanced distribution of resources and opportunities. Overall, the theme of responsibility plays a fundamental role in creating a livable society that is stable for the long term.”
The key theme of spoga+gafa will be presented and discussed in various forms with an emphasis on resource-saving gardening, fairly produced garden products, low-emission barbecue technologies and climate-friendly garden care and irrigation.
“With the growing awareness of environmental issues such as climate change, species extinction and the scarcity of resources, both companies and consumers are recognizing the necessity to act more environmentally friendly,” Lohrberg says. “The key topic of spoga+gafa 2024 Responsible Gardens picks up on precisely these developments.”
Lead image: Koelnmesse / spoga+gafa / Stand: Green bird, garden living, Halle 11.1
