Asocolflores announces the winner of its inaugural Young Grower of the Year/Next Gen Award

Elkin Farfán, planning director for Cundinamarca-based Phytotec S.A.S., was crowned Asocolflores Young Grower of the Year 2023 at the Proflora show, held in Bogotá, Colombia last week.

The new accolade, aka New Gen Award, seeks to promote and recognise the leadership of outstanding young people in Colombian floriculture. Young talents that demonstrate exceptional skill, innovation, and commitment to the future of the sector and address its most urgent challenges.

Elkin Farfán became involved in floriculture in 2005 when he began working with the company founded by his father, Phytotec S.A.S, of which he is now the planning director.

This family business, during its 27 years of history, reflects the growth and evolution of Colombian floriculture, which exports first class cut flowers around the world. This recognition reflects the commitment to continue contributing to the sector.

The proposal with which Elkin was awarded this award, which promotes and recognises the leadership of young people in floriculture, focused on three pillars: sustainable social and environmental development, mentoring and coaching, and labour flexibility.

The first pillar focuses on the importance of highlighting social and environmental work; in which Colombian floriculture has demonstrated its commitment for several decades and is evidenced by certifying seals such as Florverde and Rainforest. This allows it to be a determining factor for young talent, allowing them to feel proud of belonging to a sector that prioritizes these two aspects in its production chain.

The second pillar focuses on mentoring and coaching, where the winner affirms that not only the economic factor is important, but also the guidance by the management team in the professional and personal development of its collaborators through a chain of sponsorship that allows maintaining a sustainable projection within the organisation.

Finally, labour flexibility based on two model examples in agriculture in Europe, the United States and Brazil. The first allows the employee to compress their working hours on certain days of the week, and the second model called time bank, allows overtime to be exchanged for periods of time. Both models seek to give young collaborators the possibility of adjusting their working times to achieve a balance and find space for their professional and personal development that links to the second pillar.

With this proposal, applicable to the floricultural sector, Elkin Farfán the first young promise of Colombian floriculture, will receive recognition and the cost of tuition for the Pro-Manager Mastercourse 2024, created by JUNGLE TALKS, worth 1,250 euros.

Participation in the Pro-Manager Mastercourse 2024 opens the possibility for the student to compete in the AIPH Young International Grower of the Year, held at IPM Essen in January 2024.

The Mastercourse will take place in the Netherlands, between 15-26 January 2024.