Feb 19, 2016

Looking for an International Vision By Tim Hodson

The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) recently launched a three-year project aimed at identifying an international vision for the ornamental horticulture industry.

“Globalization has had a major impact on the ornamental horticulture industry. We have seen the traditional markets for flowers and plants slow down while at the same time production and consumption of flowers and plants in developing countries has increased rapidly both to export to developed countries and to meet the growing demands of their own national markets,” said Tim Briercliffe, AIPH secretary general.

He adds, “It seems that the power-base for the production and market for ornamentals is changing. This brings with it challenges and opportunities for growers and the whole supply chain. This project has been developed to understand these challenges, forecast future changes in the structure of the industry and to identify opportunities to grow the overall market.”

Bernard Oosterom, chairman of the project Steering Group and AIPH president, comments, “We invite all those with an interest in this work, wherever they are in the world and whether they have any links to AIPH or not, to become a part of the network being developed to identify this vision”.

The group began collecting information and data at last year’s AIPH Annual Congress and continued last month at IPM Essen in January 2016. The group plans to meet again on March 15, during the AIPH Spring Meeting in Vancouver, Canada.

Any company interested in participating in the project should contact AIPH’s secretary general, Tim Briercliffe at sg@aiph.org.

 — Tim