{"id":3334,"date":"2022-07-15T12:48:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T12:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afe.epicenter1.com\/news\/floriculture-sustainability-resources-and-education"},"modified":"2024-04-05T18:01:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T18:01:44","slug":"floriculture-sustainability-resources-and-education","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/endowment.org\/es\/news\/floriculture-sustainability-resources-and-education","title":{"rendered":"Floriculture Sustainability \u2013 Resources and Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

Floriculture Sustainability \u2013 Resources and Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The American Floral Endowment Launches New Collaborative Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The American Floral Endowment (AFE)<\/a> has announced a new special Floriculture Sustainability Project<\/strong> to provide education and resources to the floral industry. Partnering with like-minded organizations, the Endowment\u2019s new project aims to create usable assets, identify new research needed, and close the gap in making sustainability an accessible initiative for all segments of the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Floriculture Sustainability Project:<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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By identifying and understanding the big picture of what\u2019s already out there, what\u2019s working, and what\u2019s not, the Endowment aims to compile new resources, share success stories, bring together experts in both academia and industry, and provide action plans for businesses large and small. Industry certifications have already provided an incredible amount of information for those seeking to validate their sustainability practices. Building upon these, AFE plans to create a library of resources that can be used by all to complement their current efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Endowment has enlisted the help of expert researchers and industry advisors Dr. Brian Jackson and Dr. Melinda Knuth of North Carolina State University. Both will oversee this project for AFE to work with industry and other expert researchers to collect, analyze, and create outputs to streamline sustainability efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Knuth states, \u201cThis project is not only timely but essential. Consumers are seeking, and driving, demand for sustainable products and business practices.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The initial two-year project will be conducted in three phases \u2013 Phase I \u2013 Discovery and assessment of the adoption and application of sustainability practices being done at all business size levels. Phase I focuses primarily on written documentation of sustainability; Phase 2 and 3 will be a physical and communicative measurement of sustainability practices, barriers of entry, the opportunity for expansion, and the dynamic nature of how sustainability is utilized in business. Applicable resources, SOP\u2019s, and call-to-action plans will be created and made available to all industry members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOutputs of this project can provide practical guidelines that growers and other floriculture supply chain members can use to identify environmental, economic, and social sustainable practices that can be incorporated directly into their businesses,\u201d adds Dr. Jackson.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The second and third phases include interviews to evaluate directional efforts of doors that open to sustainability practices and causes for opportunities, in addition to a floriculture sustainability website that houses all materials. Experts from each arena of sustainability will come together for roundtables to create sustainability goals, checklists, and guides for businesses to pull from in various fields (lighting, greenhouse structures, IPM, water, growing media, packaging, recycling, and more).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this initial project is a two-year project, ending in June 2024, it sets the stage and base for ongoing work in sustainability as it continues to evolve. AFE is committed to continuing its work on sustainability well into the future to provide guidance and support to sustainability efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Endowment is not alone in funding this forward-thinking initiative; the industry leaders below have all signed on as the major sponsors of this project. Additional sponsors are being sought to support additional and upcoming work on this project. All sponsors of the Sustainability Project will have a seat on the newly formed Sustainability Task Force for the roundtable meetings and will review and receive data prior to it being published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\n \t

\n\t\tFounding Partners\n\t<\/h2>\n \n
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