The Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE), a collaborating entity of the Biodiversity Foundation within the framework of the Operational Programme “Entrepreneurship and Continuous Training” of the European Social Fund, has been developing annually since 2003 the MICA Project: “Comprehensive Improvement of Environmental Quality in the Footwear Industry”. The project addresses training, awareness-raising and analysis of training needs and creation of structures aimed at active workers of SMEs and self-employed professionals related to the environmental sector, who develop their activity in the footwear industry in Spain. At this fair, FICE presented a Green Space in order to publicize its MICA 2006 Project.

The Foundation attended this event and visited stands of various Spanish footwear companies that have participated in the FICE-Biodiversity Foundation project. Several of these companies have worked on the design and manufacture of “ecological” shoe models made from environmentally friendly materials and processes, thus confirming the growing environmental awareness in the footwear sector.