On 23 May, UN Environment announced a new partnership with Russia’s traditional “fairs”. The partnership, which will both revive old traditions and combine them with the latest innovations, will showcase practical solutions as well as the benefits of sustainable consumption, production and agriculture.
The revival of Russia’s trade fairs will also facilitate the return of native traditions in a unique format that combines trade and entertainment. The fairs will again become centres of social life.
The revival of the fair movement will also support sustainable tourism. In the old days, when the fairs were the main arena for cultural events, people from neighbouring villages and cities would travel from far and wide to visit them. And now, people from all over Russia will travel to cities hosting fairs for local sightseeing and to get a taste of the local spirit and social environment.
The development of fairs will provide support for small and medium business and local producers, giving them an affordable and popular channel for marketing products, as well as providing an additional impetus for the development of folk crafts. Preservation and support of unique national folk traditions is one of the most important priorities at the state level.
Finally, the revival of fairs will become a big event for the residents of Russian cities, because they will have a wide choice of necessary goods at affordable prices. The fairs will offer not only food, but also clothes, shoes, and a wide array of household items – from electrical appliances to cutlery to cattle.
The partnership will stimulate the production of organic agricultural products and environmentally friendly industrial products in Russia, diminish food loss and waste, promote eco-design and sustainable architecture and construction, resource- and energy efficiency, facilitate distribution of environmental products at the markets of other countries.
Collaborations with UN Environment campaigns such as Think.Eat.Save and #BeatPlasticPollution will add value to local efforts.
Learn more about UN Environment's work to support the transition to a green economy.
