“There’s no need for horticulture to be left stranded by the risks of a changing climate,” said Hon. Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority, at the AIPH Horticultural Industry Conference on the Sydney waterfront. The conference was opened by AIPH Vice President Jack Goossens (pictured above, photo credit: Ludovic Vilbert, Inwardout Studio) and formed part of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH)’s biannual meeting, organised with the support of Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA).
Across the programme, speakers explored several interconnected challenges shaping the future of ornamental horticulture:
- Climate change and water availability are reshaping production systems and requiring more efficient resource management.
- Stronger biosecurity frameworks and certification systems are becoming essential to protect plant health and support international plant trade.
- Changing market structures and consumer expectations are transforming how plants are marketed, sold, and valued.
- Effective advocacy and industry collaboration remain critical to ensuring horticulture is recognised and supported by policymakers.
Climate Pressure And Water Management
Speaking on how horticulture can thrive in a low-carbon economy, Kean said: “Acting now will reduce emissions and strengthen the sector’s prospects in the face of a changing climate. If we’re willing to understand that acting on climate change is both an environmental imperative and an economic one as well, we can prosper.”
One of the most immediate challenges facing horticulture is managing water availability more strategically as climate conditions become less predictable. Chris Philpot, CEO of The Water Conservancy, explained that rising demand and more frequent droughts across the Oceania region are creating significant business risks for growers.
He commented: “The future of horticulture will belong to those who treat water as a strategic asset. Using water efficiently means less pressure on rivers and on groundwater, less energy used for pumping, and fewer nutrients lost through runoff.”
During a panel session, Philpot was joined by Andy Cameron, Founder of Agnov8 and President of Greenlife Industry NSW & ACT, and Eduardo Barbosa of Hort Innovation to discuss how the industry is responding to increasing water pressure. The panel highlighted the growing importance of water recycling, precision irrigation and monitoring technologies to improve efficiency and support production in hotter, drier conditions.
Strengthening Biosecurity Systems
Alongside climate pressures, speakers emphasised the growing importance of biosecurity in protecting global plant production.
Celeste Cook, Project Manager and APPS (Australian Plant Production Standard) Administrator from Greenlife Industry Australia, presented Australia’s on-farm biosecurity management system: Biosecure HACCP.
Meanwhile, Matt Dolan, CEO of New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated (NZPPI), introduced PlantPass, a collaborative, government-industry owned certification system tailored to New Zealand’s unique biosecurity environment.
AIPH has identified both Biosecure HACCP and PlantPass, along with comparable systems in Canada, Italy, the UK, and the USA, as rigorous and effective plant health systems, providing strong protection against pests and diseases. These national systems form the foundation of AIPH’s work to develop an international Voluntary Plant Health Management System, designed to support consistent plant health standards across borders. Dr Audrey Timm, Technical Initiatives Manager for AIPH, presented progress outlining how a voluntary international framework could help strengthen plant health assurance while supporting global trade in ornamental plants.
Retail Transformation And Changing Consumer Behaviour
Speakers also explored how garden retail is evolving in response to shifting consumer expectations, economic pressures, and new business models. In Australia, the retail landscape has changed significantly over recent decades as large-format retailers and rising land values reshape the sector. Mike Mehigan, CEO of Greenlife Industry NSW & ACT, explained how traditional garden centres are facing increasing pressure, particularly in high-value urban areas where property values can exceed the value of the retail business itself.
These insights are helping the industry shape campaigns that reconnect consumers with the benefits of plants and gardening. Elyse Allum, Associate Marketing Manager at Hort Innovation, highlighted how marketing strategies are adapting to these changing behaviours. Drawing on extensive industry research and consumer insights, current campaigns aim to inspire interest in plants while also addressing barriers such as a lack of confidence in plant care. Data-driven marketing, combined with strong collaboration across the supply chain, is helping the industry maintain visibility and engagement with consumers despite cost-of-living pressures.
Jack Goossens, Interim Chair of the Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland, added an international perspective, explaining how the Dutch horticulture sector is focusing on unified messaging to strengthen consumer demand and public trust. Through coordinated campaigns such as Something Beautiful is Growing Here, the industry is linking the emotional value of flowers and plants with the sector’s sustainability progress. By providing growers with media training and shared communication tools, the initiative ensures consistent messaging across producers, traders, and retailers while helping the sector respond quickly to emerging public concerns.
Advocacy And Industry Representation
In the final session of the Conference, representatives from grower associations in Australia, Canada, Colombia, and Italy shared experiences of advocating for the horticulture sector in different political and economic contexts.
In Australia, GIA has been advocating for more structured and transparent relationships across the supply chain. Nick Hutchinson, Chair of GIA, described how many Australian growers rely on retailers for 80% of their business. However, unclear timelines and a lack of binding commitments risk growers’ profitability. Hutchinson emphasised that long-term stability depends on clearer commercial frameworks, stronger collaboration across the value chain, and attracting the next generation of horticulture professionals.
Victor Santacruz, CEO of the Canadian Nursery and Landscape Association (CNLA), explained how the organisation helped secure recognition of ornamental horticulture as a formal part of the agricultural sector. This required years of relationship building with policymakers and the presentation of research demonstrating the wider functional value of plants beyond aesthetics. Recognition as agriculture opened the door to new opportunities for the industry, including access to risk management programmes and involvement in infrastructure projects linked to urban landscapes.
Another example of sustained advocacy came from Italy. In the 2010s, the Xylella Crisis struck southern Italy. To prevent the spread of disease, growers were required to destroy all plants within 300 metres, resulting in massive losses of potentially healthy products. Leonardo Capitanio, former President of the National Nurserystock Exporters Association (ANVE) in Italy, described the association’s success in lobbying for this requirement to be reduced to 50 metres. After more than a decade of effort, the spread of the disease is now under control, demonstrating how persistent, multi-level advocacy can help protect both horticulture and the landscapes it supports.
While the panel highlighted successes, speakers also addressed ongoing challenges facing the sector. José Antonio Restrepo, Chair of Asocoflores, explained that Colombian flower exporters continue to face tariffs when trading with the United States that cost the industry an estimated $200 million, prompting coordinated lobbying efforts to improve market access. In Canada, exporters benefit from free trade with the United States, but rising input costs — including significant increases in machinery and steel prices — are placing pressure on industry expansion.
Across the panel, speakers agreed that strong relationships with government remain essential for protecting and advancing the horticulture sector.
Effective advocacy requires time, trust and sustained engagement. Yet, as several speakers noted, the cost of not engaging with policymakers and communities can ultimately be far greater for growers and the wider industry.
The discussions in Sydney reflected the increasing importance of international collaboration as the horticulture sector responds to environmental pressures, evolving markets, and policy challenges worldwide.
The AIPH Horticultural Industry Conference is organised with the support of Greenlife Industry Australia, AIPH’s member in Australia, alongside Headline Sponsor Biblo. AIPH also thanks Media Partners FloraCulture International, FloralDaily, Hort Journal Australia, and Thursd.
