Fair bike tour makes a stop: live and travel sustainably in Bayreuth!

Fair bike tour makes a stop: live and travel sustainably in Bayreuth!

As part of the “Fair Weeks” a special customer is currently traveling through the region: Frank Herrmann, author and business economist, is on his “Fair Bike Tour” and is stopping in Bavaria. On September 22, 2025, both Bayreuth and Pegnitz were on his program, where he thrilled the audience with his lectures on fair consumption and sustainable travel. Herrmann, who lived in Latin America for many years and led development projects there, can look back on a wide range of experience. Not only is he the author of numerous successful books, but he also speaks annually about topics that are important for our future.

The lecture in Bayreuth with the title “Fair Consumption – Imperative for a Future Worth Living” aimed to raise awareness of the responsibility of supermarket chains. Herrmann established the connection between individual consumer behavior and global supply chains and explained how these influence the living conditions of producers. His message came across loud and clear: we all need to do our part to improve the circumstances in which products are made.

Sustainability in tourism

In Pegnitz, Herrmann shed light on “FAIRreisen – contradiction or opportunity?” the challenges facing tourism in the context of climate protection, justice and economic development. He made it clear that tourism not only offers an opportunity to strengthen the local economy, but also brings with it a responsibility for the environment. The focus here is on the topics of sustainable consumption and the demand for fair conditions.

But Herrmann is not alone with his point of view. The discussion about sustainable supply chains, which also affects companies in the region, is becoming increasingly louder. Current EU regulations and existing supply chain guidelines are putting companies under increasing pressure to comply with environmental and social standards. According to a report by Wirtschafts Magazin, companies need transparent and fair supply chains to meet legal requirements while reducing negative environmental impacts. Ecological, social and economic aspects play just as important a role as the responsibility to ensure fair wages and working conditions.

Legal framework

From 2023, companies with over 1,000 employees will have to comply with human rights and environmental due diligence obligations according to the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG). The upcoming EU regulation on deforestation-free products will also come into force in December 2025. This requires companies to be able to prove that their raw materials were not created through deforestation. This significantly promotes transparency in the supply chain, improves the traceability of products and increases the pressure on producers to operate sustainably.

These new legal requirements bring both opportunities and challenges for companies. On the one hand, sustainable supply chains can bring long-term competitive advantages and cost savings; On the other hand, the bureaucratic effort involved in implementation must also be taken into account. Nevertheless, it is clear that addressing social and ecological risks is not only a duty, but also an economic necessity.

With his lectures in Bayreuth and Pegnitz, Frank Herrmann made a valuable contribution to the discussion about fair consumption, sustainable travel and the associated challenges. It is now up to each and every one of us to take up this impulse and initiate changes in our consumer behavior.

The combination of education, responsibility and a conscious lifestyle could be the key to a fairer and more sustainable future. Therefore, everyone should think about: What can I do to consume fairly and make my travel fairer?