National floriculture campaign emphasises the value of flowers

More than 300 municipalities will receive a bouquet this Friday, courtesy of the Dutch floriculture sector. This marks the start of a nationwide campaign by the floriculture sector, in which local florists throughout the Netherlands will present their mayor with a “bouquet of connection and appreciation”. The bouquet is a blossom gesture with a clear message: flowers show connection and appreciation, and can be given and received with confidence.

A bouquet of connections

By presenting the bouquet on Entrepreneur's Day on Friday, 21 November, the floriculture sector is explicitly seeking cooperation with local authorities. Among others, State Secretary Jean Rummenie of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and the mayor of Rotterdam, Carola Schouten, will be presented with a bouquet by a local florist this Friday. Marco Maasse of the Royal Association of Florists explains: "A bouquet is a symbol of connection. Flowers allow you to speak from the heart. Flowers colour your emotions, offering comfort in difficult times and joy and happiness in good times. With this presentation, we emphasise our appreciation for the local government and want to contribute to the necessary connection on behalf of the entire sector."

Responsible choice, based on facts

The connection between municipalities and local growers and florists is essential. The great value of the entire floriculture sector to the Netherlands, partly due to its leading position in innovation, is also clearly visible at the local level. Many florists prefer flowers from local Dutch growers to support them. The decision by some municipalities or institutions to ban flowers may be intended as a sustainable statement, but this is not in line with reality.

In recent years, the floriculture sector has taken significant steps toward sustainability, encompassing energy use, cultivation techniques, and transparency in the supply chain. This makes Dutch flower and plant growers the international leaders in sustainable cultivation and efficiency. Thanks to innovation, a lot can be produced in a relatively small space. Over the past ten years, Dutch cut flower growers have also significantly reduced their use of the most environmentally harmful substances by 88%. ‘We recognise the concerns about crop protection, among other things, but the sector has made enormous progress in recent years, particularly in terms of sustainability,’ says David van Mechelen, interim CEO of Royal FloraHolland. ‘We are critical of ourselves and realise that for a long time we have not been sufficiently transparent and have not sought dialogue enough, even though so many steps have been taken and are still being taken in this area.’

The well-being benefits of flowers, their emotional value, and the connection they create, as well as the achievements of Dutch floriculture entrepreneurs in the fields of crop protection, innovation, and efficiency, and the economic value of the sector – these elements cannot simply be dismissed. That is the message that the floriculture sector is conveying with one powerful voice to all municipalities in the United Kingdom. Read more about this on the website ontdeksierteelt.nl.