The American Floral Endowment becomes the newest member of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has become the newest Associate Member of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI). This partnership unites AFE, a prominent US-based floriculture funding non-profit, with FSI, an esteemed international non-profit focusing on sustainability.

Through AFE’s membership with FSI, this new partnership will strengthen the floriculture industry through collaboration, sharing experiences, and broadened perspectives. “Sustainability is hugely impactful and affects floriculture globally. By joining forces, we are expanding the impact and effectiveness of our initiatives and programs,” stated AFE’s Executive Director, Debi Chedester, CAE.

AFE is an autonomous organisation with a clear vision supporting a strong, unified floriculture community fostering industry innovation and growth to better connect people to flowers and plants in everyday life.

Founded in 1961, the Endowment programs support and fund innovative research, educational grants, internships, and scholarships. These programmes support growth and advancement for all segments of the floral industry.

The Floriculture Sustainability Initiative is a market-driven initiative that brings together members of the international floriculture sector. They share the goal of finding more sustainable solutions for farmers, their workers, their families, the environment, and the sector’s future.

In 2013, FSI was established as an independent international non-profit association under Belgian law. Goals for 2025 focus on the following three pillars – responsible production & trade, responsible conduct, and integrated reporting.

Jeroen Oudheusden, FSI Executive Officer, said, “Collaboration is crucial in our worldwide industry. By joining forces with AFE, we can share learnings and best practices and develop innovative solutions, ensuring that people now and in the future can enjoy flowers and plants in their daily lives and find jobs in our sector that are both exciting and meaningful.”

FSI and AFE are already strategically working together to support additional sustainability education as AFE gears up to launch their highly anticipated Sustainabloom programme later this year.

Sustainabloom represents a collaborative effort that brings together like-minded floral industry organisations and experts from industry and academia, developing actionable plans, practical guides, and an array of resources tailored to all segments of the floral industry.

Jointly, AFE and FSI are proud to announce this exciting partnership and will invest in the future of floral, creating a stronger, more sustainable industry.