PARIS, France: Benoît Ganem, chief executive officer at *Flora Nova and president of the Coronavirus crisis committee set up on 14 April 2020, presented **VAL’HOR president Mikaël Mercier with a modernisation action plan to guide business development and technological progress of the ornamentals sector in France.
The modernisation roadmap offers an excellent opportunity to rethink the future of ornamental horticulture in France. It identifies four key challenges among which is the need for a greater appreciation of locally produced flowers downstream the supply chain and more binding long-term supply contracts. Other calls for action apply to a future sector that has a well-oiled logistics and digital infrastructure to face fierce competition from abroad.
Finally, the global health crisis has shown how important it is for the sector at large to be in the category of businesses that provide essential goods and services. Being granted the ‘essential business status’ is not something to take for granted and requires constant lobbying and advocacy work with the physical and mental health and well-being that plants provide is the most important message to politicians.
Disclosure of these compelling responses to all these challenges will happen at Val’Hor’s annual general meeting on 14 October 2020.
*Flora Nova is a conglomerate of flower merchandising businesses Le Jardin des Fleurs and Oya Fleurs and the Mon Fleuriste Préféré floristry chain.
**VAL’HOR is the umbrella organisation for ornamental horticulture in France (regrouping all trade unions from the ornamental sector, from growers to retailers, landscapers, and florists).