Intensive collaboration between Africa and the Netherlands “Floriday is increasingly aligned with the needs of international growers and buyers”

Royal FloraHolland is building the largest international marketplace for the floriculture sector. Collaboration with our local offices, both within and outside Europe - including, of course, our offices in Kenya and Ethiopia - is essential to achieving this goal. We spoke with Edwin Gakonyo, General Manager of Royal FloraHolland in Africa, who, together with the entire local team, worked closely with colleagues in the Netherlands over the past year.

Feeling part of the community
Our African members received well-deserved attention this past year. They were featured in articles and videos on the Royal FloraHolland website and other channels, as well as during various events. That attention is both positive and justified, Edwin believes: “African members increasingly feel like genuine members and co-owners of the Royal FloraHolland cooperative. I was even sometimes asked: "When is it my turn for an interview?" Everyone wants to be part of it.”

This marks an important step in line with Royal FloraHolland’s Strategy 2030 and our ambition to be — and remain — the largest international floriculture marketplace. A key element in achieving this ambition is Floriday. Edwin explains: “More intensive use of Floriday by African growers required them to let go of familiar ways of working and adopt new digital processes. Naturally, that doesn’t happen overnight. Over the past year, our local Africa office has worked very closely with colleagues in the Netherlands to accelerate this transition.”

True internationalisation happens together
In many ways, the Royal FloraHolland offices in Kenya and Ethiopia mirror the Dutch organisation. They include several departments: Account Management, International Trade & Logistics, Communications, and teams dedicated to supporting growers with certification, cold chain management, training, and professional development.
Over the past year, these departments in Africa and the Netherlands have worked closely together within a shared “tribe.”

Edwin explains: “It all started with defining our joint goals, establishing clear responsibilities, and setting up a structured collaboration between Africa and the Netherlands for each objective.” The ‘Africa tribe’ met weekly to discuss progress. “Seeing each other so regularly helped us truly get to know one another.” This accelerated processes and ensured that colleagues connected outside formal meetings whenever needed.

“Previously, we worked largely in silos, with each department focusing on its own tasks. Now that we have moved away from that approach, we have seen real growth: we are working together on strong solutions and on the growth of Floriday as the leading international platform for floriculture. Together with our growers, we are driving meaningful change.”

All African growers are now connected to Floriday, supported by a dedicated onboarding team from the local Africa office. Growers have also formed a community where they exchange questions and solutions related to Floriday, Edwin explains.
“This community provides valuable input that supports the continuous development of Floriday, ensuring the platform remains aligned with the needs of African growers and buyers.”

“The international platform is being further developed, for example, to support different types of trade. As a sector, we need international knowledge and insights from growers, buyers, and colleagues around the world to make Floriday the platform for the global flowers and plants trade.”

Celebrating successes
The intensified collaboration provides Royal FloraHolland, as an international organisation, with a strong foundation for future growth. Colleagues connected seamlessly when the Dutch royal couple visited Kenya on a state visit and toured Florensis.“Thanks to our cooperation with Communications and Public Affairs in the Netherlands, we were able to prepare our management teams in both Africa and the Netherlands thoroughly for this visit.”

Another highlight was African Week, jointly organised by Royal FloraHolland Netherlands and Africa at Veiling Rhein-Maas. “We truly need one another,” Edwin says with conviction. “Our colleagues in the Netherlands have in-depth knowledge of customers and the market. And we, in turn, have extensive knowledge of the flowers, plants, cultivation methods, and volumes of our African growers. Bringing this knowledge together strengthens us - and leads to wonderful initiatives such as African Week, where several growers presented themselves to buyers in the foyer of Veiling Rhein-Maas at this German auction.”

Edwin is pleased with the intensified collaboration and hopes it will continue in the years ahead.“Because our cooperative - we build it together.”