Management update: October

In this monthly update, our interim CEO, David van Mechelen, shares the management team's perspective on the past month and an outlook for the coming month on behalf of Royal FloraHolland.

Autumn has begun, which we can see in the falling leaves and the changes within our organisation. Royal FloraHolland recently announced temporary changes to our executive board, as Pieter Bootsma is recovering. Over the coming months, Pieter will work from home to build his energy levels and resilience further.

During this period, Hendrik Jan Roel will take on a large part of the CFO portfolio as interim CFO, including Finance, RE&FM and Energy, Sustainability, Procurement and Internal Audit. I will focus on RFH's strategy and on cooperative and corporate issues. My responsibilities include the Digital & IT, Operations, BPD&I, GVM, Cooperative Affairs, Corporate & Marketing Communication, Public Affairs, Legal & Compliance and HR portfolios. Together with all our other colleagues, we will ensure continuity and maintain the pace of implementation of our strategy.

Members' Council meeting
On 18 September, we gathered for the Members' Council meeting. It was a valuable meeting in which we discussed topics that affect us as a cooperative. There was room for an update from the company on, among other things, finances, the advance announcement of indicative tariffs (the final tariffs will follow on 11 December), various business developments and a first glimpse of 2026. We looked closer at the rate system and possible changes in the afternoon.

A special and proud moment was the launch of our new cooperative campaign, “Together we are strong”. With this campaign, we want to explore with our members what connects us and why they are members. This will be followed up in the member sessions and the Day of the Cooperation.

Water Framework Directive 
Another item high on the agenda is surface water quality. The Netherlands must comply with the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) by the end of 2027. This also applies to growers and our members. The WFD is a European directive that sets requirements for water quality. We discussed this with the RFH Management Team in a session with the Delfland Water Authority. Measurements are becoming increasingly accurate and frequent. These measurements show that in Delfland, as well as in many other places in the Netherlands, there are still excessive levels of nutrients and crop protection in the water. Our growers can play a role in the improvements needed to comply with the WFD in time. This article explains exactly what is required and expected of growers.

The Great Horticulture Debate 
It is election time, and this autumn's elections are important for our sector, given everything currently at stake. In the run-up to the elections, Royal FloraHolland is organising “The Great Horticulture Debate” on 9 October, together with sector partners. 

Prospective Members of Parliament will discuss the future of Dutch horticulture with entrepreneurs, industry representatives, and students. Themes such as energy, labour and plant health will be central. Our voice must be heard, especially now. Your ideas and questions make a difference and ensure that the voice of horticulture is heard by politicians in The Hague from floriculture.

Cooperation with jem-id extended. 
In line with our strategy, we continue to invest heavily in our digital platform Floriday, which we have developed into the leading digital platform for the floriculture sector. That is why we recently reaffirmed our strategic partnership with jem-id. With jem-id as our permanent development partner, we continue building an innovative platform that will make the sector future-proof through a wonderful and special collaboration. This is not just a technical step, but a shared ambition. In this way, we are strengthening Floriday as the digital heart of the floriculture sector.

Order picking flowers 
The complete transition to order picking is one of our strategic priorities. By the end of next year, 2026, we want to handle all flowers in Aalsmeer logistically via order picking. That is the final step in completing the transition across RFH. We have already made the complete transition in Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg and Eelde. In Aalsmeer, we are well on our way: plants have already made the complete transition, and the first product groups for flowers – Alstroemeria and Chrysanthemums and, more recently, Lisianthus and Gerbera – have now also made the transition. We are also in talks with buyers about further developing Select Delivery to suit their business operations better. These are significant steps forward, putting the customer's wishes first, working together with our buyers and at the same time carefully considering what we can actually achieve: reliable, high-quality logistics services are always our top priority.

David van Mechelen, interim CEO, on behalf of the management team of Royal FloraHolland