The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
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The AIPH International Horticultural Industry Conference, on Tuesday, 17 September, held during the 77th AIPH Annual Congress in Ghent, brought together more than 100 delegates from across the world to examine how ornamental horticulture can secure a sustainable and technology-driven future. Expert voices from every link in the value chain — growers, retailers, researchers, policymakers, and global trade representatives joined the debate.
Opening the day, Headline Sponsor Juan Carlos Isaza, Senior Technical Expert at GLOBALG.A.P., framed the challenge: “Sustainability has shifted from a USP to a licence to operate — and now it moves beyond that, to securing our future. We have made remarkable achievements as a sector, but the responsibility is to push the boundaries further.” He highlighted GLOBALG.A.P.’s programmes, including a new social initiative expected to join the FSI basket next year, underlining the role of stakeholder-driven action.
Independent Sustainability Consultant Daan de Vries zoomed out to the planetary scale. Citing the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s “nine planetary boundaries,” he asked: “Can we innovate our way out of trouble?” Examples such as translucent solar panels, sheep wool substrates and hot-water weed control sparked debate and challenged delegates to consider innovation not as an option, but as an imperative.
Union Fleurs Secretary General Sylvie Mamias “zoomed in” contextualising the European picture: “For the EU, sustainability is about more than the environment — it’s about circular economy, biodiversity, and quality of life. This regulatory shift means our industry must embed sustainability in business strategy, with robust reporting, innovation, and open communication. And through collaboration, floriculture has often been ahead of other sectors.”
Chaired by AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe, the Great Growing Media Debate brought sharp perspectives from across Europe, with frank contributions from Cecilia Luetgebrune, Secretary General of Growing Media Europe; Jennifer Pheasey, Director of Public Affairs at the Horticultural Trades Association; and Julia Ostrowski of Horticert, this Industry Conference’s Silver Sponsor.
Luetgebrune was very direct about the sector’s position: We must be honest — peat is still the most suitable medium for many crops. But that doesn’t mean we stop looking for alternatives. Instead, as she declared passionately, it means the transition must be guided by facts, science, and transparency, and not ideology.
Representing the UK, Pheasey underlined the urgency of change: “With 25% of our growers already peat free, the UK’s transition is gathering pace. But ambition has to be matched with support; we cannot afford to jeopardise the future of our growers in the process.”
From Germany, Ostrowski added the certification perspective: “As sustainability becomes central to trade, verification is essential. At Horticert, our role is to provide the tools to prove credibility and to ensure growers are recognised for their efforts.”
The discussion revealed diverging national approaches to peat and its alternatives, from the UK’s accelerating transition to Germany’s regulatory pathway and Europe-wide policy drivers. Delegates noted that the debate went beyond a technical exchange, touching on the credibility and sustainability of alternatives, and highlighting the economic, environmental, and social implications of change.
For participants outside Europe, this was a striking conversation — many markets are only just beginning their own discussions on sustainable substrates, making this panel a valuable insight into the direction of travel.
From Belgium, Bruno Gobin, Director of Viaverda, asked why, despite advances in IPM, water management and high-tech growing systems, the sector is often judged as “not enough.” He showcased Flanders’ unique research ecosystem, adding: “Our strength lies in building bridges between academia, applied research, government and growers. Monitoring and innovation are crucial — but nothing is more important than engaging directly with growers.”
Retail perspectives came from Frank van der Heide of Tuinbranche Nederland. Highlighting consumer expectations, he said: “Our ambition is that 70% of the supply line in garden centres will be chemical-free by 2030. Collaboration across the chain is the only way to face this pressure.”
The closing sustainability panel brought powerful global perspectives, with contributions from Augusto Solano, President of Asocolflores (Colombia); Stefanie Miltenburg, Head of Public Affairs at Royal FloraHolland (Netherlands); Juan Carlos Isaza, Senior Technical Expert at GLOBALG.A.P. (Germany); Marco van der Sar, Chair of the Plants & Flowers Foundation (Netherlands); and Jeroen Oudheusden, Executive Officer of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) (Netherlands).
Solano underlined the social dimension of sustainability: “Our responsibility goes beyond the farm gate. It is about people — about peace in the home, about health, about the wellbeing of the communities where we work.” At the same time, he was frank about the communication gap: “As an industry, we are still not communicating strongly enough what we are doing. We have a good story to tell — but it must reach society.”
Miltenburg highlighted the reputational pressures facing growers: “Nice stories and open days are no longer enough; real credibility comes with changed behaviour, backed by data. Certification has been our answer, and our major buyers are now committing to fully certified sourcing.”
Isaza considered the cost for producers that invest in sustainable solutions and certifications: “Producers have to pay the cost, it’s not taken up by the supply chain most of the time. Good practices help recover the investment, but that’s only possible to a certain level. There are some costs that are never recovered, or take some time to recover. We need to simplify the process, use more technology to make it more cost-efficient.”
Oudheusden spoke about FSI’s evolution and the urgency of collective action: “If you think sustainability comes at a cost, consider the cost of not being sustainable. Our sector is a frontrunner compared to many others, but we need to double down on data, harmonised standards, and transparent communication if we want to keep our licence to operate.” He put it bluntly: “If a crop cannot be produced sustainably, perhaps we should question whether we should be growing it at all.”
From the consumer side, van der Sar emphasised the importance of perception and trust: “Reputation is 80% behaviour and only 20% communication. Consumers need proof that we are changing, and footprint data will be crucial in winning over the neutral majority who could become our biggest growth opportunity.”
The exchange revealed not only the scale of progress already underway, but also the very different contexts in which growers and traders are operating. For delegates from outside Europe, it was a reminder that sustainability priorities vary — from biodiversity and pesticide reduction in Latin America to social responsibility, labour costs, and consumer perception in Europe. The debate reinforced the need for a unified voice and stronger global communication, reminding participants that sustainability is both a local challenge and an international imperative.
The afternoon turned to innovation, opened by Ingrid Creten of KBC’s Surf Studio. “You can’t stop the waves of technology, but you can learn to surf them,” she told delegates, sharing how AI is transforming banking and business. From Meta Ray-Ban glasses to generative video, she illustrated the scale of change now arriving, urging growers to explore and experiment with tools that can drive competitive advantage.
Dutch Greenhouse Delta CEO Mirjam Boekestijn then outlined global greenhouse trends: “The next wave of greenhouse innovation is about linking sustainability with economics — using energy and water smarter, and deploying automation to overcome the labour crisis. Scale, consolidation, and new investors mean we must think differently about service and strategy — not just technology.”
Production technology was presented by Joep Hendricks of TTA-ISO, the Industry Conference’s Headline Sponsor. “Hands still touch every flower we buy — but automation is transforming propagation and planting. This isn’t about replacing people; it’s about consistency, quality, and unlocking the data that AI needs to make us more efficient.” He showed how robotics and vision analysis are enabling growers to process millions of cuttings with minimal labour, while improving quality and reducing inputs.
Closing the session, Dr. Johan Van Huylenbroeck, Scientific Director of ILVO, demonstrated how drones and deep-learning AI can identify stress, water issues or pests days before the human eye: “AI is not about science fiction — it’s about faster, better decisions for growers. By combining imagery, modelling and automation, we can turn research into tools that work in practice.”
The AIPH International Industry Conference built on the warm welcome delegates had received the previous day from the Flemish Government and AVBS, who reminded participants that ornamental horticulture is not only an economic sector but also “part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis we are facing now.” AVBS highlighted Ghent’s role as the heart of Belgian ornamental horticulture and urged participants to strengthen international connections at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.
Chairing the Industry Conference day, AIPH’s newly elected Vice-President, Jack Goossens, reminded delegates: “Plants are life. Without them, we don’t exist. Our task is to put horticulture back at the heart of society and prove our value with credible data.”
Bringing the Conference to a close, AIPH President Leonardo Capitanio reinforced AIPH’s role as the global champion of horticulture: “Sustainability is not just our challenge — it is our opportunity. By working together, embracing innovation, and committing to transparency, we can show the world the true power of plants.”
