What is a Vegetable Exhibition?
Bringing people together around biodiversity through exhibitions fosters dialogue, curiosity, and collective responsibility for conservation, making abstract environmental issues tangible and locally relevant. Exhibitions that promote biodiversity awareness can take many forms – in this module the focus is on Vegetable Exhibitions as a particularly engaging and accessible format. Vegetable exhibitions provide a platform for producers to share biodiversity-supportive growing practices and for visitors to deepen their understanding of the ecological, cultural, and nutritional value of heritage varieties. Exhibitions highlight genetic diversity in plants alongside the cultural traditions and stories connected to them, a combination often described as agrobiodiversity. Showcasing such a wide range of varieties also underlines the importance of curiosity about new species and cultivars, an essential quality for adapting to a changing climate. Growing and sharing agrobiodiverse seeds sustains culinary practices, rituals, and agricultural knowledge while fostering collective support for growers and sustainable practices (The National Heirloom Exposition)
In the PLANET4B Project, a Vegetable Exhibition was organised, as part of the agrobiodiversity case study (Hungary), with the aim of creating an engaging local event that celebrates the diversity of vegetable varieties while highlighting the vital role of biodiversity in agriculture and food systems. The event provided an opportunity to showcase a range of heirloom and exotic vegetable varieties, with growers also offering tastings for visitors.
In this module Borbála Lipka explains how the Vegetable Exhibition was used within PLANET4B. In this video she introduces the PLANET4B case study:
In this video Borbála Lipka explains what a Vegetable Exhibition entails:
Key Features
Timeframe:
- The timeframe depends on if the event is being organised as a standalone event or part of a large existing event. Either way, ideally the potential exhibitors will have in their mind at the start of the growing seasons, that they will be participating. If the event is organised in co-ordination with another project the actual display will likely only last a day, but this could also last longer.
Budget and Materials: This is not a low budget event to put on, you will need to account for the following:
- Venue hire, including costs for tables, chairs, and any equipment hire such as display boards or lighting
- Exhibitor support, such as travel reimbursements or help transporting their fruit and vegetables
- Publicity and promotion, including printed posters, flyers, and online advertising
- Refreshments for attendees and exhibitors, including tasting materials and utensils
- Interpretation and translation services, if needed for accessibility
- Insurance and permits required for public events
- Materials for interactive or educational activities, such as tasting stations or games
- Waste management and cleaning services for the event
Roles and Responsibilities:
Exhibitors
- Grow the fruits or vegetables they want to display
- Harvest and transport produce to the exhibition
- Talk to visitors, showcase produce, offer tasting if relevant
- If comfortable doing so, give a short presentation about their varieties
- Co-create the design and planning of the exhibition – this is optional, but if they have capacity this makes it more inclusive
- If willing to do so, participate in any associated research activity (e.g. debriefing, or other method)
Organisers
- Liaise with growers to find a suitable time of year/season to showcase their vegetables.
- Select a panel of organisers, this might include a chairperson, secretary, treasurer etc., ensuring also that the event includes representatives from different communities on the organising boards. Ideally offer some form of compensation for this time, to ensure due recognition of all contributions.
- Identify suitable location or event to host the Vegetable Exhibition and organise materials.
- Advertise the event and encourage participation.
- Logistically manage the running on the day.
- On the day, help facilitate discussion between the public and growers as needed.
Attendees
- Enjoy fruit and vegetables
- Learn about context, participate and engage with exhibitors
- Contribute to feedback (debriefing or other)
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Suitability and Applicability
A Vegetable Exhibition can serve many potential purposes, these include:
Education
The event can serve as an engaging public platform to educate people about the importance of agrobiodiversity in farming (and/ or, in the case of other forms of biodiversity exhibition, issues around conservation, restoration and biodiversity loss more broadly). In the case of a Vegetable Exhibition, such as the one organised within the PLANET4B agrobiodiversity case study, it provides a practical example of where people can buy heritage varieties, support growers, and cook with diverse ingredients. The exhibition fosters an opportunity to support local food culture and raises awareness about the value of crop diversity in sustainable agriculture.
Networking
The exhibition creates opportunities for growers to exchange ideas, knowledge, and seeds, strengthening networks of mutual support. It also fosters a sense of collective action towards growing practices that enhance biodiversity and sustainability. In the case of Vegetable Exhibitions, it may also encourage direct sales, and connect small scale producers with retailers, chefs, and local food initiatives that prioritise sustainable sourcing.
Celebrating Sustainable Agricultural Practices
A Vegetable Exhibition offers a space to showcase, taste, and enjoy heritage varieties, giving them greater visibility and cultural relevance. By celebrating traditional and ecological farming methods, it helps to validate and promote sustainable agricultural practices that support biodiversity and climate resilience.
Advocacy and Campaigning for Small-Scale Producers
A Vegetable Exhibition can serve as a platform to advocate for policies that protect small-scale farmers and seed sovereignty. It can help raise awareness about the challenges faced by growers, from corporate control over seeds to access to land and resources, while mobilising public and institutional support for a more sustainable and just food system, and an opportunity to discuss the climatic challenges of growing food.
A Community Consultation Tool
Exhibitions can be adapted into informal consultation spaces, where residents share perspectives on food, health, and biodiversity in an accessible, non-intimidating environment. The format provides a richer evidence base than standard surveys or hearings because it surfaces local concerns, values, and priorities that are often overlooked in formal settings.
In this video Borbála Lipka discusses the potential purpose of a Vegetable Exhibition:
