Anuga 2021 fair brings optimism to sector

The 36th edition of Anuga took place in Cologne from 9–13 October 2021, marking a major event in the industry calendar. With over 70,000 visitors from 169 countries, and more than 4,600 exhibitors from 98 nations, the leading global trade fair for food and beverages demonstrated that events on this scale can once again be a resounding success in the post-pandemic world.

Anuga also set a benchmark for internationality in these post-Corona times, with 97% of visitors to the 2021 fair coming from abroad. The degree of visitor internationality also remained constant at 2019 levels at 76%.
“Anuga 2021 conveyed a strong and important spirit of optimism both for the trade fair industry and the hospitality sector. Anuga is the largest trade fair worldwide in this special year,” said Ingrid Harges, Chief Executive Director of the German DEHOGA association.
A new digital format, Anuga @home, which took place simultaneously with the on-site event also offered exhibitors, visitors, and media representatives the ability to connect virtually to the latest news and insights from wherever they were in the world. This included digitally streamed events and programs comprising lectures, discussions, and presentations held by industry representatives and trade experts.

Kristian Moeller, managing director at GLOBALG.A.P. c/o FoodPLUS GmbH, highlighted the impact of the return to live events in showcasing the new GGN label to global customers:
“Our presence at Anuga 2021 with both a physical and online booth was a welcome step towards a feeling of normality. The energy and excitement of finally connecting with our customers and reaching new ones in person, and introducing the new GGN label to them was an opportunity we could not miss! With our new cross-category GGN label, we are pleased to have developed a simple, cost-effective solution that fosters trust in a brand by providing the kind of visibility into responsible farming practices that today’s consumers demand.”

GGN label in the spotlight

GLOBALG.A.P.’s consumer-facing GGN label, which was launched in April 2021, stands for certified, responsible farming and transparency – both around and on the product. The label is a cross-category mark that encompasses packed and loose products in the aqua-, agri-, and floriculture sectors.
All products bearing the GGN label provide transparency to the consumer through a unique 13-digit GLOBALG.A.P. Number (GGN). This is linked to all of the supply chain actors that have met the requirements of GLOBALG.A.P. certification and can be directly searched by consumers on the GGN label portal (www.ggn.org) to reveal information about those involved in the production process. This transparency is a vital component for building brand trust, with 78% of consumers in a Label Insight study saying they trust transparent brands more.

The next Anuga will take place from 7–11 October 2023.