Ethiopia will be hosting three major leather events in 2021: the 5th World Leather Congress, the XXXVI IULTCS Congress 2021, and All Africa Leather Fair (AALF) 2021.
Taking place in Addis Ababa in 2021, the events will commence on 1st November 2021, with the 5th World Leather Congress (WLC) organized by the International Council of Tanners (ICT) and COMESA LLPIunder the theme ‘Leather – a Gift of Nature’. Delegates will then be able to attend the XXXVI IULTCS Congress 2021, to be held on 3 – 5 November 2021, which will explore the theme of ‘Greening the Leather Value Chain’. With this, Africa will host the Congress for the second time after 2001 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) said the call for congress abstracts will open shortly and the Congress venue will be the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, close to the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.
On November 6 – 9, the All-Africa Leather Fair (AALF) will be held at Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa. Africa is fast emerging as one of the future markets for sourcing quality leather and hides for the booming global leather industry. Leather and leather products are among the most widely traded and universally used commodities in the world. Already, the total value of annual trade is estimated at 1.5 times the value of the meat trade; more than five times that of coffee and more than eight times that of rice.
Formal international trade in leather and leather goods is estimated at over US$ 50 billion a year and the market is far from saturated. In the next decade, the demand for leather raw materials (hides) and finished products may exceed supply – making the leather industry one of the most lucrative business sectors in the years to come.
Africa – A key supplier of hides and raw materials
Africa’s abundance of livestock represents a natural strength for the sector, as leather is a by-product of the meat industry. Africa has about 15 percent of the world’s cattle population, a percentage that grew by about a quarter over the last decade, overtaking the global trend. Similarly, Africa possesses about 25 percent of the world’s sheep and goat population. This puts Africa at the center of the booming leather industry as a key supplier of hides and raw materials to the growing industry of leather and leather goods. Countries in the Horn of Africa are one of the largest exporters of livestock, especially to the Middle East countries. For Ethiopia, for example, livestock and livestock products are the major leather hides Africa foreign exchange earners, second only to coffee, with hides and skins contributing the most.
AALF is Africa’s biggest and most important international exhibition & conference dedicated to leather, accessories, components, synthetics and models for footwear, leather goods, automotive and furniture. Launched in 2008, it has become the most qualified international exhibition in Africa. AALF has been characterized by its high leadership in quality and style innovation, which makes it indispensable to the leather demand worldwide.
The 5th World Leather Congress
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Airport Road Bole International Airport
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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The XXXVI IULTCS Congress 2021
November 3 – 5, 2021
Ethiopian Skylight Hotel
Airport Road Bole International Airport
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Congress president: Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, PhD
Host & Organizer: Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI)
Co-organizers: (1) Trade & Fairs East Africa, (2) Ethiopia’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, and (3) Ethiopian Leather Industry Development Institute
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All-Africa Leather Fair (AALF) 2021
November 6 – 9, 2021
Millennium Hall
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
About the International Council of Tanners (ICT)
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