The Berlin Green Week was established in 1926. The inaugural trade fair, which was not international yet, ran from February 20–28 parallel to the traditional winter meeting of the German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft), serving as a secondary showcase. The event owes its name to the green felt coats (Lodenmäntel) traditionally worn by German farmers and foresters. The inaugural edition of the trade fair attracted around 50,000 attendees.
Green Week was held every year between 1926 and 1939. The only exception was the year 1938 when the event was canceled because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe. It was discontinued during World War II and then revived in 1948, becoming an international event. By 1963, foreign participants accounted two-thirds of exhibitors. The Berlin International Green Week has grown substantially following the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s.
Today’s Green Week is a one-of-a-kind international exhibition for the agricultural, horticultural and food industries. It features producers from all over the world who come to Berlin to present their products, reinforce their brand image and exchange experience with their foreign colleagues. The program of the fair also features over 250 lectures, seminars, workshops and symposia dedicated to gardening, organic agriculture, rural development, renewable resources and other related topics.
Every year Green Week is accompanied by a series of protests themed “We are fed up!” (Wir haben es satt!). Around 120 groups protest for more sustainable farming and against industrial livestock production.
In 2021, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
