ECNC

On the afternoon of Wednesday 17 November 2010 the main hall of the Province House in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, was transformed into a bustling Biodiversity Marketplace. The almost 400 participants were introduced to over 50 initiatives which demonstrate that biodiversity can provide solutions for many social issues. Numerous matches - agreements for future cooperation - were made between the participants.

The Marketplace was the crowning moment for activities undertaken in Brabant during the International Year of Biodiversity. The plenary session preceding the Marketplace emphasized the economic importance of biodiversity, as well as the not-to-be-underestimated value of biodiversity for human well-being. Following on from the observation that in addition to the current economic crisis we are also experiencing an underlying and more important biodiversity crisis, attention was drawn to the great importance of local initiatives as a response to these global issues. With its great variety of local projects, the Marketplace is proof that there is enough inspiration in society for us to make a start.

Organizations from Noord-Brabant as well as the rest of the Netherlands presented their successful and inspiring projects in which biodiversity is related to: education and childcare; health care; citizen participation; leisure; living and working environment; agriculture; nutrition; and sustainable development.

There was brisk trading in knowledge and ideas at the Marketplace. There was also considerable networking with a view to future cooperation and joint project development. Match after match was recorded, each one rewarded with a wuppie; at the end of the one-and-a-half-hour Marketplace, wuppies could be seen adorning numerous shoulders. When the final gong sounded to announce the end of the Marketplace, no fewer than 176 matches had been made!

Descriptions of all the projects presented at the Marketplace can be found in the programme booklet (in Dutch) that was created specially for this event. This booklet, as well as photos of the fair, can be downloaded here.

Photo: Biodiversity Marketplace 2010, Frank van Engelen ©