{"id":5525,"date":"2025-12-17T12:58:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T11:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/?post_type=sustainability-news&#038;p=5525"},"modified":"2025-12-18T12:44:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T11:44:06","slug":"sustainability-reflections-from-the-aiph-industry-conference-for-spring-2026-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"sustainability-news","link":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/sustainability-news\/sustainability-reflections-from-the-aiph-industry-conference-for-spring-2026-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability reflections from the AIPH Industry Conference for spring 2026 and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<em>Stars for Europe (SfE) and Pelargonium for Europe (PfE) are continuing their series of technical columns to support European producers, which kicked-off last year.\u00a0 Click here to read the <a href=\"https:\/\/sfe-trade.com\/en\/news\/sfe-expert-column-sustainable-peat-free-mixes-for-poinsettia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">last <\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/sfe-trade.com\/en\/news\/sfe-expert-column-sustainable-peat-free-mixes-for-poinsettia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>column<\/em><em> about peat for poinsettias<\/em><\/a><em> by UK expert Neil Bragg. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This initiative promotes sustainability in ornamental horticulture through articles collating the opinions of experts across Europe, sharing first-hand insights from their regions. While local challenges may vary, the goal is to foster international exchange. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>This edition shares reflections from the AIPH Industry Conference, held on 16th September 2025 in Ghent, where leading experts from across Europe explored the topic of sustainability. The timing is apt for PfE and SfE readers: while retail is about to hit peak poinsettia, it\u2019s now prime time for growers planning spring 2026 with pelargonium orders underway.<\/p>\n<p>The conference offered timely insights on the challenges and opportunities shaping both crops.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Juan Carlos Isaza (GLOBALG.A.P.)<\/strong> \u2013 emphasised the need for data-driven reporting to strengthen the sector\u2019s sustainability claims.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Daan de Vries (Independent Consultant)<\/strong> \u2013 took a \u201czoomed out\u201d approach to sustainability, discussing global dynamics and donut economics, warning that efficiency gains alone don\u2019t guarantee lower resource use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sylvie Mamias (Union Fleurs)<\/strong> \u2013 outlined the EU legislation affecting the sector, including the EU Green Deal and three key pieces of legislation \u2013 PPWR, CSRD\/SFDR and CSDDD \u2013 which are most relevant to floriculture.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Growing Media Panel (Cecilia Luetgebrune <\/strong><strong>Secretary General, Growing Media Europe<\/strong><strong>; Jennifer Pheasey, <\/strong><strong>Director of Public Affairs, HTA, UK; <\/strong><strong>Julia Ostrowski, <\/strong><strong>Horticert, Germany<\/strong><strong>)<\/strong> \u2013 debated peat reduction, alternatives, costs, and the need for evidence-based transitions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bruno Gobin (Viaverda, Belgium)<\/strong> \u2013 presented research-led approaches to IPM, substrates, and irrigation, with emphasis on monitoring and business cases from Belgium.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Frank van der Heide (Tuinbranche Nederland)<\/strong> \u2013 shared retailer ambitions on pesticide-free production and consumer-driven sustainability demands.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Industry Action Panel (Augusto Solano, <\/strong><strong>President, Asocolflores, Colombia;<\/strong><strong> Stefanie Miltenburg, Head of Public Affairs, Royal FloraHolland, Netherlands; Marco van der Sar, <\/strong><strong>Chair of Supervisory Board, Plants &amp; Flowers Foundation Holland, Netherlands;<\/strong><strong> Jeroen Oudheusden, E<\/strong><strong>xecutive Officer, Floriculture Sustainability Initiative; <\/strong><strong>Juan Carlos Isaza, <\/strong><strong>Senior Technical Expert, GLOBALG.A.P.<\/strong><strong>)<\/strong> \u2013 the panel discussed a range of issues, stressing transparency, collaboration, and data-backed action as the way to maintain credibility and market access.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><em>Tell customers a story<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>The engaging day underlined a reality already pressing on European growers of pelargonium and poinsettia: legislative requirements, certification standards and supply chain pressures are converging rapidly. The coming years will demand measurable data, functional alternatives in substrates, and robust systems to handle regulatory change.<\/p>\n<h3><em>Certification and data collection<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>From 2027, Royal FloraHolland will require all products traded through its marketplace to comply with FSI standards. Small-scale farms will be supported with simplified schemes, but for all growers, sustainability certification will be unavoidable.<\/p>\n<p>The emphasis is shifting from \u201ccheckmark\u201d compliance to certification as a management tool. Audits and reporting are being reframed as opportunities to identify and address hotspots such as water use, substrate footprint, pesticide use \u2013 not just a cost burden. Data credibility is now a central concern. Tools like the new FloriPEFCR provide harmonised methodologies to calculate environmental footprints at crop level, ensuring that growers\u2019 progress can be measured, benchmarked and defended in the public debate.<\/p>\n<h3><em>Legislative Pressures \u2013 Packaging, Reporting, Due Diligence<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Several EU regulations will directly impact ornamental production in the next few years:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>PPWR (Packaging &amp; Packaging Waste Regulation)<\/strong> \u2013 this is entering into force from 2026. With pelargonium and poinsettia moving in high volumes, packaging innovation for both products (lighter, recyclable, or reusable solutions) is important.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation)<\/strong> \u2013 these extend sustainability reporting obligations across supply chains, moving responsibility to finance departments. Growers supplying larger businesses will increasingly be asked for verified data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)<\/strong> \u2013 this focuses on social and environmental impacts across international supply chains. For crops grown and traded cross-border, it adds a layer of accountability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Costs will rise, but uniform EU-wide rules may also reduce market fragmentation and create efficiencies.<\/p>\n<h3><em>Growing media: practical realities<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>The peat debate is ongoing and remains diverse and lively. The session highlighted how complex the transition is for ornamentals. Key points for pelargonium and poinsettia:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Costs:<\/strong> UK surveys suggest peat-free alternatives can add 25\u201330% to production costs, especially for small- and medium-size businesses.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Performance:<\/strong> Nutrition and irrigation management are more complex. Crop quality risks increase if substrates are inconsistent.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Availability:<\/strong> Demand for alternatives is projected to outstrip supply; research and testing are ongoing, but no single definition exists for \u201csustainable\u201d substrate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regulation:<\/strong> The UK market is moving quickly, with intense activity in research and development due to extra pressure from large retail and legislation; Brexit means the UK government has freedom to ban peat in horticulture \u2013 and while not cemented, it is on the horizon. Meanwhile, Germany\u2019s government has declared it has a \u201cstrategy\u201d but no ability to bring a binding law. Policymakers in Spain show little appetite for change. If peat policy continues to develop at a national level rather than at EU level, growers may be left to navigate a fragmented market: one country demanding rapid phase-out, another with no requirements at all.<\/li>\n<li>Speakers stressed the need for fit-for-purpose substrate solutions, not just substitutes. Poor substrates can drive higher fertiliser and water demand, undermining sustainability targets. Investment in research and development, and technical support,is essential before firm phase-out timelines are realistic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><em>Supply chains and risk management<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Debate highlighted that sustainability cannot be reduced to \u201clocal is better.\u201d Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) shows that the true footprint of a product depends on multiple factors \u2013 from growing media and water use to energy inputs \u2013 not just the distance it travels. Work on the FloriPEFCR is helping to provide this nuance, enabling growers and buyers to identify hotspots in their own production and supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Phytosanitary regulation was also raised. While stricter rules are often perceived as drivers of higher chemical use, speakers argued they can sometimes encourage better management practices. Challenges may come from a lack of harmonised EU legislation; divergent national rules risk raising costs and creating unnecessary complexity for growers operating in different markets.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the social dimension is becoming more prominent when considering sustainability. The EU\u2019s Just Transition principle emphasises that sustainability includes people as well as the environment, and speakers from FSI and Colombia\u2019s Asocolflores highlighted how important it is to consider and communicate about social issues in the sector. For European ornamentals, where labour can be scarce and costly, speakers argued that workforce wellbeing and social risk is well worth discussing on the same platform as environmental advancement.<\/p>\n<h3><em>Conclusion<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Conference highlights suggest the industry is moving towards a new phase which is focused on data-driven reporting, shifting from voluntary commitments to legally binding obligations. That means for growers of pelargonium and poinsettia, the immediate technical priorities are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Building reliable data reporting systems, in line with FloriPEFCR.<\/li>\n<li>Invest in trials and knowledge-sharing around peat alternatives to minimise risk.<\/li>\n<li>Prepare for packaging regulation with practical innovations.<\/li>\n<li>Monitor EU-level legislation closely to avoid fragmented compliance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Margins in ornamentals are tight, and transitions carry risk. The sector has an opportunity to stay ahead if it treats certification and regulation not just as barriers, but as tools to drive innovation and maintain access to critical markets.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article reflects perspectives voiced at the AIPH Industry Conference. Any opinions shared do not necessarily represent the views of PfE or SfE members. With thanks to the speakers and AIPH for organising the conference: <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aiph.org\"><em>www.aiph.org<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p><\/div><div class=\"acf-fields-container\" data-post-id=\"5525\" data-canto-acf=\"true\"><\/div><style>\r\n        .acf-fields-container {\r\n            margin: 2em 0;\r\n            width: 100%;\r\n            clear: both;\r\n        }\r\n        .acf-field-image {\r\n            margin: 1.5em 0;\r\n            position: relative;\r\n        }\r\n        .acf-field-label {\r\n            margin-bottom: 1em;\r\n        }\r\n        .acf-image {\r\n            max-width: 100%;\r\n            height: auto;\r\n            display: block;\r\n            margin: 1em 0;\r\n        }\r\n    <\/style>","protected":false},"featured_media":5424,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-5525","sustainability-news","type-sustainability-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sustainability-news\/5525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sustainability-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sustainability-news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pfe-trade.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}