Updated 17 April 2020

Our members, partners and network are wonderful and keep spreading beautiful and positive flower & plants  initiatives amidst COVID-19 crisis

To infuse some much-need positivism through these harsh COVID-19 times, a variety of beautiful and positive flower & plants initiatives are currently being promoted by our members, partners and network in the floriculture industry worldwide. They all aim to remind people of the importance of flowers & plants and their universal language to show love and friendship, gratitude, support, consolation and hope. And to stress how flowers & plants have the power to connect people from every corner of the world.

Several visual and video campaigns are currently largely spread over social media to bring sparks of colour and joy in these turbulent times and ensure that consumers will not forget about buying flowers & plants when the situation stabilises again. Here’s a snapshot:

“Let Hope Bloom” –  Flower Council of Holland  
Our member the Flower Council of Holland launched end of March the consumer campaign ‘Let hope bloom’ in Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom simultaneously. By sending a message of hope and positivism, the campaign conveys that flowers will always be there and give hope to all the people whose lives are being impacted. #lethopebloom

The campaign also includes media support with posters, images and social media posts, calling on growers, traders and florists to use the material on their own channels. More info here.

 

“Bond with Flowers” – ASOCOLFLORES & Flowers Of Colombia
Our member ASOCOLFLORES and its brand Flowers of Colombia recently released a video which tells, from the perspective of the flowers, how there is always room for positive emotions and happiness in this world, which the flowers of Colombia are perfect to convey. “Dear World: Allow us to bring smiles and harmony to the world.”

In another video, ASOCOLFLORES highlights the wonderful people and team effort behind every step of a flower journey, from the start of their lives until they reach our homes. Yes, flowers can change lives! From breeders to growers to florists to the happy recipient of a beautiful flower bouquet: they all carry hope, dreams and emotions – and flowers connect them all! A beautiful reminder of all the diverse human stories behind each and every flower that enlightens our days!

With the campaign #bondwithflowers, Flowers of Colombia also invites everyone to share short messages illustrated by flower pictures and express their feelings to the people they care about, even if they are far away.

 

“Be a plant hero” – Floradania

Our member Floradania and their member companies  actively promote online the great benefits of plants and gardening , encouraging people to “be a plant hero ” #plantehelt for themselves and for their loved ones during their Springtime ‘staycation’ – the usual touch of  Danish dry-humor and self-irony during lockdown measures !

 

“Flowers of Hope” –  Kenya Flower Council
The campaign  “Flowers of Hope” was recently launched in Kenya by KEPSA (the Kenya Private Sector Alliance) under its Economic Framework for COVID-19 response. The campaign will be implemented through KEPSA members as follows: our member Kenya Flower Council (KFC), Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), Elgon Kenya, Kenya Airways and Jambojet with volunteer partners from Rotary Kenya and Women of Kenya Initiative. “To support this sector, we want to use Kenyan flowers as a uniting symbol of our community of solidarity and compassion emerging in Kenya and indeed the world as a response to the Covid-19 showing gratitude and support to the people at the frontline of or suffering from the pandemic, which will also help in saving thousands of farm jobs.”

The campaign started on 30 March 2020 in Nairobi with the distribution of flowers in Kenyatta National Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital, Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Mama Lucy hospital, Mathare hospital and Spinal Injury hospital. It will then continue in other parts of the country in the coming days. Kenyans and other citizens get involved by posting a picture of themselves with a rose with the campaign hashtag and a personalized message. #flowersofhope

“We connect emotions” –  Expoflores
Ecuadorian flowers share their message of hope through a video, in which flower growers show their resilience, telling the world how despite being hit hard, they remain positive about the future, about their ability to grow stronger out of this challenge. “We will be reborn out of this adversity, spreading love and happiness, keeping this sector alive […] Without flowers our tomorrow doesn’t exist”. #weconnectemotions

 

#flowers4oxygen: Flowers & plants contribute to public health and bring positive energy
Determined to spread a positive message during the COVID-19 crisis, various organisations and people from the floriculture sector, designers, media and marketing agencies in the Netherlands have joined forces around the hashtag #flowers4oxygen to demonstrate how flowers and plants contribute to public health. Parties from within and outside the sector have directly offered their cooperation, such as Keukenhof.

The campaign kicked off end of March with an enormous flower art installation in the shape of a pair of lungs, for which which various floriculture companies and dozens of volunteers cooperated to gather over 50,000 plants and 150,000  flowers to the Keukenhof grounds in Lisse (while respecting safety distances !)

FLORAL ART INSTALLATION, KEUKENHOF,  NETHERLANDS: Massive art installation featuring floral lungs being created by #flowers4oxygen at Keukenhof in the Netherlands.

The #flowers4oxygen movement calls similar creative initiatives around the world to share them online and spread the message of love and happiness during this crisis. By using the tag #flowers4oxygen,  the campaign’s motto “Together we stand strong and with united forces we are powerful” is reinforced.

 

UNION FLEURS STATEMENT: 

 

 The international floriculture industry has for the last three decades been an outstanding success-story of a highly integrated and interconnected global supply-chain making an immense positive contribution to both developed and developing economies around the world. In particular it has significantly enhanced the livelihoods of thousands of people in Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia) and South America (Colombia and Ecuador) who directly or indirectly derive an income and valuable socio-economic prospects from the outstanding performance of these countries on the world market. Increased globalisation and interdependence have also fostered  greater efficiency in the supply-chain and in the sustainable use of resources, and have positively stimulated  coordinated efforts across the floriculture industry to ensure it operates their businesses in a  socially and environmentally responsible manner in response to the demand for sustainably produced and traded floriculture products.

The modern floriculture industry is a global web of businesses comprising breeders, propagators, growers, exporters, shippers, importers, wholesalers, distributors, specialised and non-specialised retailers that operate in an inter-dependent manner to bring  all-year round colourful and natural products to destination markets for the ultimate delight and well-being of billions of consumers around the world. It is testimony to the efficiency of this entire supply chain that it can deliver highly perishable flowers within 48 hours of them being picked into the home of customers anywhere in the world.

But it is precisely because of this interdependence that the worldwide floriculture industry has been one to feel the greatest impact with the escalation of the COVID-19 crisis since mid-March.  An unprecedented and massive ‘domino effect’ is now in progress throughout the floriculture industry across the globe.

The downturn was initiated by the general closure of all non-essential shops in key destination markets and the restrictions placed on consumers in making their customary purchases in those countries where the virus struck. The immediate result was a sudden drop in demand, spectacularly illustrated by the sudden sales and price collapse at the Dutch auctions mid-March. Production and supplying capacity being at its peak at this period of the year, the impact has been particularly brutal on the flower industry around the world. Market prospects for Spring flower-related traditional celebrations such as the upcoming Mother’s days across Europe and in the USA are still more than uncertain. Production costs in producing countries cannot be covered by limited sales, and the planning of the future production cycles is on hold.

The specific challenges of managing the pandemic are now reaching full effect in the major producing areas in Africa and South America. It adds to the current complexity of the overall situation for the flower industry in these countries to continue to supply key markets and respond to the first signs of demand recovery in weeks. Globally, almost all international scheduled airlines have currently ceased to operate and the increased worldwide demand for airfreight has resulted in rates escalating to levels that the industry cannot sustain. Under these circumstances the traditional airbridges to key destination markets have limited availability and at a price level that is largely unsustainable for flower-suppliers from the Southern hemisphere.  For example, freight availability for flowers out of Kenya is currently less than 25% of what would normally be available at this time of the year.  The drop in European demand has forced air cargo operators to look elsewhere and coupled with the reduction of freight availability from scheduled airlines, and an increased worldwide demand for COVID-19 health and food related supplies, means that more lucrative opportunities became readily available.

The floriculture industry is a major employer in the many key countries around the world involved in the production, trade and distribution of floricultural products. Hard decisions are having to be made everywhere. In the major production areas in Africa and South America, growers are having to balance the cost of securing the livelihoods of their employees while maintaining the productive capacity of plants in the ground for the future, all from significantly reduced income. Elsewhere in Europe, Northern America and beyond, businesses across the supply-chain (growers, wholesale, import and export, distribution channels and retail shops) are faced with similar challenges from the downturn in sales with many at risk of financial collapse.

UNION FLEURS – International Flower Trade Association, on behalf of its international membership and businesses active in the floriculture trade and value-chain, calls on all Governments, the European Union, international institutions, other associations of the floriculture sector, related economic operators and its global network of long -term partners of the international floriculture industry, to support and strongly promote  a number of essential  elements that are key to ensure the  viability and survival of the international floriculture industry, and all related jobs and businesses now at stake across the world, – and allow it to re-start and recover after the current COVID-19 crisis:

KEEP TRADE GOING:

• Essential conditions of international, regional and domestic trade must continue to be guaranteed: functioning of airports, airline crew, ports, trade routes, customs, phytosanitary inspections, availability and space on cargo freight at sustainable prices (air, sea, land)
• Procedures in the export, import, customs and phytosanitary control areas should be made as fast and lean as possible to ensure a swift and efficient clearance and preserve as much as possible the quality of these highly perishable products.
• Activate trade facilitation tools e.g. digital processes and documents as much as possible

MITIGATE THE DOMINO EFFECTS ACROSS THE SUPPLY-CHAIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE:

• Support floriculture companies involved in the production, trade and distribution wherever possible in addressing cash flow and liquidity issues
• Additional transport and handling costs should be borne across the supply chain including customers
• Government support should be enabled to help businesses throughout the supply chain, including wholesale, distribution, florists and garden centres, to continue or resume business when it is deemed safe to do so.
• Demand and sales channels in destination markets should be sustained wherever still possible during this crisis, be it in supermarkets or online deliveries at the moment.
• Keep exposing consumers to floriculture products as much as possible and in whatever possible channels, so they don’t forget about their positive contribution to quality of life and a healthy lifestyle and buy again via their usual channels when the crisis will be over.
• Production in non-European producing areas should be sustained through facilitation of affordable freight rates and associated logistics arrangements.

The entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities of all industry players across the floriculture value-chain are being tested as we move through this crisis and will continue to be challenged going forward. But while this industry is currently in an extremely vulnerable position throughout the world, we are confident that the interdependence and partnership that define our industry will be our strength in overcoming the immense challenges ahead.

Download here: FULL STATEMENT IN PDF VERSION

————————————

This statement is fully endorsed and promoted by the UNION FLEURS Board of Directors on behalf of the membership of UNION FLEURS and of their respective national organisations:

Richard Fox                                                                         Frank Zeiler
UNION FLEURS President                                           UNION FLEURS Vice-President
Kenya Flower Council – Kenya                                  BGI – Germany

Matthijs Mesken                                                               Augusto Solano
UNION FLEURS Board member                                UNION FLEURS Board member
VGB – the Netherlands                                                  Asocolflores – Colombia

Paolo di Massa                                                                    Peter Larsen-Ledet
UNION FLEURS Board member                                 UNION FLEURS Board member
ANCEF – Italy                                                                       Floradania – Denmark