“The SA Cheese Festival is regarded as the largest outdoor culinary event in Africa and has recently once again been honoured by AAXO (Association of African Exhibition Organisers) as Best Consumer Exhibition. More than 30,000 members of the public annually attend this three-day event. The impact of the SA Cheese Festival on the local economy as well as on job creation within the agri-processing industry compels us to continue with this award-winning event with the necessary responsibility.”
According to Ehlers, Agri-Expo annually hosts the SA Cheese Festival in the interest of the dairy industry and agri-processing sector: “More than 160 companies and entrepreneurs make use of this platform to market their products to the public, which has a significant influence on the economic growth of SME’s, market accessibility and job creation, with particular reference to small cheese makers, manufacturers of products of alternative crops and other entrepreneurs. The impact of tourism on the immediate environment as well as the investment by visitors are noteworthy, according to recent research.”
In response to Wesgro’s call to keep the Western Cape economy growing and create jobs during the current challenging drought, Agri-Expo has consulted with various role-players to find solutions to present the 2018 SA Cheese Festival in a water-wise manner. The project is supported by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.
Interventions to minimise the impact on water resources, and to remove the SA Cheese Festival from the water grid, include the use of chemical temporary toilets, borehole water, drinking water and ice obtained from non-drought-stricken areas, waterless hand sanitation, an emphasis on fire hazard regulations, a dedicated #waterwise exhibition area, and the development of waterless recipes for cooking demonstrations; as well as a focus on alternative and climate-smart crops as part of the Cape Made: Taste the Alternatives project.
Ehlers says the 2018 SA Cheese Festival will make an educational contribution towards promoting new water saving actions to the consumer. With the biggest percentage of festival goers from the Western Cape, who have already adopted a water-saving culture, we believe they will support our actions. We rely on all role-players to contribute the necessary responsibility and respect to present a successful event given the water situation."
