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Friend of the month - January 2015

Have your say in January... Christine Boldt from the USA!

"We embrace the notion of an increasingly interconnected world and believe it is the ideal moment to introduce the concept of working together"
We spoke with Christine Boldt, B.S. in Accounting from Florida State University. She has been exposed to the flower industry for more than 30 years, as her mother was one of the first woman to own a flower importing company in Miami. Also she has worked with the Association of Floral Importers of Florida - AFIF on their trade shows from 1999 through 2001 and joined full time from 2004 as Executive Vice President. From supply chain, sustainable flowers and customer trends she highlights the importance that sustainable certification labels have among these. Let's see what she got to tell to the Tingua!


Florverde® Sustainable Flowers: How have you seen any change in the supply chain at the flower industry in terms of sustainability?  What is your opinion about Florverde® Sustainable Flowers?
Christine Boldt: The flower growers in Colombia started being conscience about environmental and sustainably grown flowers before the industry or anyone started talking about it, so the growers did it because it was the right thing to do.  Because the majority of the imported flowers come from Colombia this was important for the flower importers and the products they sell.  Florverde has been the leader in the US for the industry and ultimately consumers to know about sustainably grown flowers.


FSF®: What is the position of Importers regarding Sustainability issues?

CB: Importers want to supply flowers that are grown in a sustainable way.  Most importers try to display their labels so that the purchaser can be aware of their flowers being grown in a sustainable way.  When possible the importers provide information about Florverde and other sustainable labels. 


FSF®: What is the role of the consumer in this situation?

CB: Most consumers do not know how flowers are grown, where they are grown or what it means to grow a sustainable product.  It is important for the consumer to be educated about what buying sustainable flowers means. 


FSF®: Please tell us more about the Globally Grown campaign that you are leading/managing?

CB: Globally Grown is a unique international initiative that connects countries, growers, importers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers, has officially launched as an accessible platform with one goal in mind to work together and sell more products. Globally Grown will be available to everyone and will serve industries and countries to promote their products, share campaign ideas, and to tell their company and industry stories. Globally Grown will also serve as an educational platform for those who are interested in learning about specific products, the people behind the products, their origin, and availability. 

At Globally Grown, we embrace the notion of an increasingly interconnected world and believe it is the ideal moment to introduce the concept of working together through this modern platform; we believe that the Globally Grown platform is a necessity for our future. Our logo, the Globally Grown passport stamp, will tie everything together. Participating partners will place this stamp on product packaging and signage, which will distinguish Globally Grown products from the rest, giving them a collective name and face.

To create awareness and a global following, Globally Grown planned and will be executing the following strategies:

  • Partner with countries and corresponding trade agencies in order to reach as many people as possible and create a well-rounded network of products.
  • Use the website and social media platforms to educate people on different industry tips, product origins and stories about the people and places related to the products.
  • Emphasize and demonstrate the effectiveness of globally sourced products and its defining role in getting the consumers the products they want on a year round basis.

 About Globally Grown:  Globally Grown was established in early 2014. Its purpose is to bring global industries together through its online presence, social media and platform in order to educate and ultimately sell more products. As of October 2014, Globally Grown has partnered with the Colombian Flower Industry and the Association of Floral Importers of Florida with plans of increasing partnerships in 2015. www.GloballyGrown.org

 As a consumer, do you care about the products you buy? are you aware of the sustainable label on them? we'd love to read your experiences and share some thoughts about what's behind a sustainable certification label ;)


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