THE THIRD EDITION OF BIOTERRA GROWS OVER ALL ITS PARAMETERS AND CONSOLIDATES THE NUMBER OF VISITORS

(Irun, 2 June 2006). 5,300 visitors have attended the third edition of Bioterra, held between 26th and 28th May in Ficoba, the Gipuzkoa Trade Fair Enclosure. This number highlights the increase in professional visitors – one of the objectives outlined by Bioterra for this edition – reaching 15% and the growing affluence of the public during the Fair’s technical sessions, with more than 1700 attendees. As far as the exhibitors and exhibition area are concerned, Bioterra has increased by 10% and 125 respectively compared to 2005.

Another of the most outstanding aspects of this third edition of Bioterra is its progressive internationalisation. Two sales missions from German and Irish distributors visited the Gipuzkoa Trade Fair Enclosure during the fair. From the other side of the Atlantic, a delegation of Guatemalan farmers visited us along with a representative from the Government of the Dominican Republic who made the most of the fair to learn about work carried out by different organic agriculture and livestock associations and see first hand the development of these sectors in the area. Also from the Canary Islands, specifically from Fuerteventura, a delegation of farmers visited Bioterra.

Regarding the assessment of the Fair, early signs from the questionnaire show an improvement in the Fair’s evaluation. “Without having yet read all the questionnaires exhaustively,” commented the managing director of Ficoba, Iñigo Marquet, “I would emphasise that the visitor’s perception of Bioterra has improved compared to last year: a perception which has been affected by the number of exhibitors, as well as the quality of the products on display.”

Alternately, the informative side of Bioterra has shown once again that it is capable of drawing the crowds. More than 1700 people participated in the different parallel activities. Of them, more than 1400 attended the conferences on ecological matters and sustainable development. A special mention should be given to the increase in the number of children participating in the workshops particularly aimed at this public.

100 exhibitors participated in Bioterra 2006 covering an exhibition area of close to 1000m2, representing sectors related to organic products, ecological management and the environment; once again we must highlight the loyalty displayed by the exhibitors related to renewable energies and bio construction. Furthermore, various new products were presented during Bioterra 2006 such as organic txakoli, pizzas made from organic corn flour, organic cotton sheets, ready meals, also strictly organic, as well as a whole host of milk products and cosmetics, the latter representing an increasingly popular sector.