The floral industry now knows, thanks to a survey released last year, that consumers prefer to buy flowers from a business that embraces sustainable practices.
The question is: Does your business have a sustainability plan?
Building a plan to fit your business is the focus of the “Mapping Out Your Sustainability Plan” education session at SAF Miami 2024, the Society of American Florists’ 139th annual convention Aug. 6-9 at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura, Florida.
The session builds on the 2023 survey by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and new resources featured on the Sustainabloom website, which AFE launched in April in collaboration with researchers at North Carolina State University. Research associate Amanda Solliday and a panel of growers, wholesalers and retail florists will share their insights and best practices to help attendees understand which sustainability factors influence consumers’ willingness to buy (and pay more for) floriculture products; how to prioritize sustainability goals in a way that makes sense for your business; and provide easy-to-use guidance on sustainability practices.
Sustainabloom, which is sponsoring the session, is part of AFE’s two-year initiative to help floral industry businesses on their sustainability journey. The website contains a collection of guides for topics such as composting, circular economy, work visas, integrated pest management, living wages, plastics, water conservation and more. The guides feature practical tools, such as a wage calculator, as well as articles, research, and spotlights on industry businesses with sustainable practices.
“This is about giving the industry research-driven information on how to adopt different sustainability practices and help them find the experts in the industry,” says AFE Executive Director Debi Chedester, AAF. “We understand that sustainability is a journey and not a destination.”
Click here for more information about SAF Miami 2024, including the schedule and early bird registration. And, check out SAF’s other resources on sustainability in this package of resources on the Floral Education Hub.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
