To achieve harmony between humans and nature and to emphasize the commitment of the international community to preserving the environment and natural diversity, the first horticultural exhibition was launched in 1960, which became known as the International Horticultural Expo.
In 1960, the first horticultural exhibition was held in the Netherlands under the name Rotterdam International Horticultural Exhibition, from March 25 to Oct. 25, 1960, and the story of the Horticultural Expo began from that date.
On its journey from 1960 in the Netherlands to 2023 in Doha, the Doha Horticultural Expo will be the first horticultural exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa region, addressing the urgent challenge of desertification and sustainability in a changing global climate.
Expo 2023 Doha will be held with the slogan “Green Desert, Better Environment”, to encourage, inspire, and inform people about innovative solutions and reducing desertification. The theme will also be supported by four sub-topics –
modern agriculture, technology and innovation, environmental awareness, and sustainability.
Horticulture exhibitions promote cooperation and exchange of knowledge and solutions between countries, horticultural producers, and agricultural industries by addressing fundamental issues related to healthy lifestyles, green economies, sustainable living, education, and innovation.
Horticultural exhibitions are organized by the host country and last for up to 6 months. Participants include countries and international organizations (official participants) as well as cities, regions, companies, civil society, and non-governmental organizations (informal participants).
The first horticultural exhibition in 1960 in Rotterdam received around 400,000 visitors as it was held on an area of 50 hectares.
The 1960 Horticultural Expo was the first horticultural exhibition held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and was officially recognized at the organization’s 43rd General Assembly on May
5, 1959. It became the first edition and has since taken place every decade in the Netherlands.
With the motto “From Seed to Strength”, the Floriade took place in Het Park, a public park, which was originally designed in 1852 as an English landscape park by the Dutch architect Zocher and his son.
One of the greatest legacies of Floriade Expo 1960 Rotterdam was the transformation of Het Park, which can still be seen today. Some of the garden displays in Het Park remain today, albeit in a more simplified form than during the Expo, including the wildlife gardens, the 18th century gardens and the Rhododendron Valley.
After the first edition of the Horticultural Expo, the second edition was held in 1963 in Hamburg, Germany, which witnessed around 5,400,000 visitors and was held on an area of 76 hectares from April 26 to Oct. 13, 1963. (MORE)
Source: Qatar News Agency