Impact maker Hoogeveen Plants: Green is life, green is the future

Hoogeveen Plants has fourteen locations, each with its own specialism, and operates in both the Netherlands and Portugal. From Hazerswoude-Dorp, the company coordinates a huge variety of garden plants and product groups, combining years of cultivation experience with a strong focus on innovation and cooperation in the chain.

One of the three directors, Bob Hoogerdijk, works with Head of Cultivation and Production Eduard Pos on a business model in which sustainability is made measurable and delivers visible results. ‘At home, my children eat unsprayed fruit from our own garden,’ says Bob. ‘That got me thinking: could we also grow our fruit plant product group organically?’ Through research, transparency and collaboration in the chain, Hoogeveen Plants demonstrates how entrepreneurship and responsibility reinforce each other. 

Sustainability is a joint effort

At Hoogeveen Plants, sustainability does not start in the greenhouse, but in the chain. As a participant in FloriPEFCR, a scientific method for measuring the environmental impact of ornamental horticultural products in a uniform manner, the company is working on an industry-wide standard for sustainability data.

‘If everyone measures in the same way, the differences become clear and you can really help each other improve,’ - Bob Hoogerdijk

The measurement method makes it possible to compare the ecological footprint of different product groups and reduce it in a targeted manner. The company strives to share insights with customers and fellow growers. This increases support for moving forward together.

Innovation from the greenhouse floor

For Hoogeveen Plants, sustainability is not a theoretical issue, but a matter of doing and sharing. Eduard Pos translates knowledge into concrete improvements in practice.

Chemical-free cultivation is already a reality in some product lines. ‘It's not always an easy step, but we're taking it.’ The basis is resilient cultivation: making the plant so strong that diseases have less chance of attacking it, using natural enemies such as ladybirds, parasitic wasps and gall midges.

In addition, the company has realised that it can produce various crops without using peat. They are replacing peat with renewable substrates and local waste streams, as this directly prevents CO₂ emissions.

‘Improvement starts with curiosity and daring to experiment,’ - Eduard Pos

Hoogeveen Plants strongly believes in sharing knowledge. As a co-initiator of Expert Centre Live, the company, together with other growers and knowledge partners, demonstrates how sustainability works in practice. During meetings, experiences are shared and biodiversity projects are discussed, such as trial strips with native flower mixtures that attract natural enemies.

The exchange provides new insights, for example into which plants have the greatest effect on biodiversity around greenhouses.

‘The Dutch floriculture sector as a whole will become stronger if we are open about what works and what doesn't.’ - Bob Hoogerdijk

Smarter use of energy and climate

Hoogeveen Plants is also making a real difference in the areas of energy and materials.
Solar panels provide a large part of the electricity, rainwater is collected and reused, and the pots are now made from 100% recycled plastic, which in turn is fully recyclable. In the greenhouses, heat pumps, screen cloths and smart climate control ensure a stable indoor climate with lower energy consumption.

The company is SKAL-certified and has various MPS quality marks (A+, GAP, SQ).

Thinking ahead

Transparency about sustainability is increasingly being demanded, including through European regulations such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). For Hoogeveen Plants, it is primarily the next logical step in a process of awareness and improvement. ‘If you know where you stand, you also know where you can go,’ says Bob. ‘That clarity helps not only us, but the entire sector to move forward.’ The company continues to invest in knowledge, human experience and craftsmanship, because real progress requires all three. ‘When you reflect on what is really important to you, you will often discover that it coincides with sustainable values. That is where you start, no matter how small the first step may be.’

With this down-to-earth attitude, Hoogeveen Plants continues to do what it does best: grow with respect for people, plants and the planet.

Do you have questions about this specific sustainability initiative or do you have your own sustainability plans? Please contact sustainability@royalfloraholland.com.

Impactmakers is a series by Royal FloraHolland that highlights entrepreneurs who are making the sector more sustainable with vision and courage. From big steps to small improvements: together we are building a future in which flowers and plants are grown with respect for people and the environment. Hoogeveen Plants is an inspiring example of this.