Royal FloraHolland - AIPH: Resilience and positivity in the face of adversity

During the virtual international conference 'Recovery from the crisis - the future for floriculture' of AIPH on 15 September 2020, experiences were shared about COVID, the challenges and the future. International speakers from the floriculture sector gave an insight into the experiences, lessons learned and plans for the future. A short overview.

AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe: "It was reassuring to hear how many companies have come out of this difficult period positively. Although it is acknowledged that this is not true for everyone and that there are major challenges ahead, it is inspiring to see how the global horticultural sector is responding. Innovation and best practices have come to the fore and some operational changes have been made leading to sustainable efficiency improvements for the future".

Stimulation of flower sales

Steven van Schilfgaarde of Royal FloraHolland talked about the impact of COVID-19 on floriculture and the challenges he sees for the future. He emphasised the important role of innovation and presented the plans to develop Floriday into a global B2B platform.

Rabobank spoke about the challenges ahead and the need to work together to raise the sector's profile. In order to survive and thrive, companies need to diversify their business models, the Polish national florist association Florint stressed. At Marks & Spencer, the importance of really knowing the customer was emphasised and the stimulation of flower sales was maintained. Many existing consumer trends have accelerated as a result of COVID-19, such as the emergence of digital platforms and the fact that more and more people are gardening.

COVID-19 brought many insights

In Australia, WAFEX highlighted how the impact of the decline in production and logistics will affect the coming year. Esmeralda Group spoke about how they found themselves in a strong position during the pandemic, when demand from supermarkets returned. Royal Lemkes also spoke frankly about the many insights the period gave them. The greater need for flexibility, the importance of real cooperation throughout the supply chain and the role that sustainability will play in the future.

• Watch the video and presentations are available on the AIPH website