Thank you to Union Fleurs, the International Flower Trade Association, for inviting James MacGregor and Simon Derrick to represent Fairmiles at Floriforum, kicking off the IFTF Expo in Amsterdam on November 4th.
The event provided a valuable platform to discuss the positive impact of floriculture and showcase Fairmiles’ research, which estimates that airfreighting fresh produce, including flowers, into Europe supports the livelihoods of at least 18 million people in the Global South—nearly equivalent to the entire population of the Netherlands!
With over 200 attendees, the event began with a keynote address by Jan van Dam, CEO of Dutch Flower Group, who highlighted both the strides made and the challenges ahead for the industry. This was followed by an engaging panel discussion on enhancing public narratives around the industry’s positive contributions to sustainability. Panelists included Sibbe Krol, Director of Sustainability at Bloom & Wild; Yvonne Watzdorf, CEO of the Flower Council of Holland; Ian McNair, Manager of Sustainability at Fleurop Interflora Global Flower Services SA; Simon Derrick, Global Head of Sustainability at Blue Skies; and James MacGregor, Development Economist and author of Fair Miles: Re-charting the Food Miles Map.
Special thanks to Sylvie Mamias for organizing the event, Simone van Trier for moderating, and our fellow panelists and speakers, Jan van Dam, Yvonne Watzdorf, Ian McNair, Sibbe Krol, and Arnold Wittkamp.