Members have their say

What role does sustainability play in your business?

Jolanda Brummans (Brumbos), Arjan Smit (Smit Flowers) and Lydia Klaver (Klaver Flowers) speaking.

MEMBER SPEAKING

Jolanda Brummans

Brumbos

“This way of working suits us”

Jolanda Brummans started Brumbos with her husband John in 2008. On four hectares, they grow ornamental shrubs and peonies. They do this entirely outdoors. Brumbos is transitioning to GLOBAL-GAP and GRASP. Previously, they were MPS-ABC, MPS-SQ and MPS-GAP certified.

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"From the black soil in winter, to the first shoots of green in spring to mature crops - I thoroughly enjoy seeing that process every year. We keep a close eye on our nursery. Seeing what happens every day. If there are lice, I am not immediately worried. Are some leaves falling off? I also let that happen. In the end, if I am left with beautiful branches, I will be satisfied. Watering we do, there's no choice. Certainly not in such a dry spring as this year. For that, we use groundwater. And for pollinating the flowers of our shrubs, there are five hives from a local beekeeper in the garden, plus six more hives. We desperately need critters to grow our produce but that doesn't preclude the fact that sometimes we have to spray. As long as the branches can handle it, we don't intervene. When needed, intervention is selective. With today's resources, it can be done just fine.

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Our approach is already relatively sustainable. This way of working suits us. When we applied for certification a few years ago, we found that we already met many criteria. The hardest thing about arranging certification for me was taking the first step. Because where and how do you start? It helped me that our consulting firm gave me a sample handbook. I adapted it to our business. If you already have a starting point for the certification application, it is much easier. That might be a good tip for other growers. I do wonder if consumers really care, though. In the end, most of them want a beautiful, affordable bunch of flowers that will stay fresh in the vase for seven days. When it comes to further sustainability, I find it unfortunate that this discussion is not taking place. As breeders, we are not inclined to introduce nature to people who are uninterested in it; that's our field of expertise. And we don't. When I look out of the window here early in the morning, I regularly see a pheasant, a partridge or a hare. Just the other day, I came across the tracks of a roe deer. I think that shows we are not doing too badly at all."

MEMBER SPEAKING

Arjan Smit

Smit Flowers

“Every day, we make the decision: what do we do?”

Arjan Smit is owner of Smit Flowers. He also chairs the Tulip FPC and the steering committee of the Tulip Promotion Netherlands Foundation.

"Checking the weather forecast. That's the first thing I do when I get out of bed. So much depends on the weather. Every day we make the trade-off: what do we do? When spring is colder or wetter, we need a bit more protection, as the crop is often damp for too long. On the contrary,in drier years such as this one, we leave out some agents or use a lower dosage. We prefer to use gentle pesticides, which have minimal impact on the environment. But then again, those agents are less resistant to the sun and they need to be used more frequently. And after a hailstorm, when the crop is damaged, we also have to work. Think of it like when you are ill: you take a paracetamol for a minor headache, and you go a bit further for a more serious illness.

Of course, we don't want to foul our own nest. Groundwater and soil are our raw materials: this is how we grow our product. That's why we do it as sustainably as possible. Besides: crop protection products are heartbreakingly expensive. We really don't use them for fun. I think consumers also scratch their heads. Everyone wants their flowers looking pretty and free from pests. Logical: after all, we are growing an ornamental product.

Recently, I visited Bucha, Ukraine. We deliver tulips there to give people a boost. Bucha was hit very hard a few years back. The mayor came up to me and told me how much the tulips did for the remaining residents. They were bright spots. Just a bit of cheer in so much misery. Flowers do people good. That's important too, isn't it? And look here, at our bulb fields. That's where droves of tourists visit. If this were no longer there, we would lose a lot of sales as a country. Unfortunately, this cannot be done entirely without chemicals. But we use as little as possible, wherever possible. We are keeping a close eye on research in that area."

“Investing in a future for people and the environment”

Lydia Klaver is CFO at Klaver Flowers, a family business she runs with her brother and others. The company specialises in lilies,Limonium, gypsophila and other summer flowers and has two locations: a lily farm in Heerhugowaard and a summer flower farm in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Lydia is also part of the Members' Council.

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MEMBER SPEAKING

Lydia Klaver

Klaver Flowers

“Sustainability is not a buzzword at Klaver Flowers – it’s simply the way we work. We approach sustainability in the broadest sense: from smart energy solutions in the Netherlands to social responsibility in Ethiopia.

As a family business, we believe in investing in a future that works for both people and the planet.

In the Netherlands, we generate electricity using a CHP plant. The residual heat released during power production is used to heat our greenhouses. My father was one of the first to adopt this system, sometime around 1970. It still works best for us. When there’s a shortage of wind or solar energy in the Netherlands, we can supply power back to the grid – and as a result, we benefit from free heating.

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By switching to LED lighting and smart energy systems, we’ve already reduced our energy consumption by 25%. In the coming years, we’ll continue to invest in further savings. But make no mistake – these aren’t overnight decisions. They require time and research. With LED, for example, you have to consider how to deal with heat loss and increased humidity in the greenhouse. In Ethiopia, we use organic methods to protect our crops naturally. We apply water management strategies and reduce water use by covering the soil, which prevents evaporation.

And let’s not forget the people who work with us. In Hawassa, we employ over 2,000 people. We believe it’s important to give something back to the community. We’ve supplied new beds and a microscope to the local maternity clinic. Every employee receives free breakfast. And during Fichee-Chambalaalla – a local holiday – we handed out flour and sunflower oil to all our workers. Investing in people is part of sustainability too – the social side of it. And we are fully committed to that.”

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