The president of the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters (Asocolflores) and the deputy minister for the environment have signed an agreement to strengthen environmental management in the sector through sustainable flower cultivation, La Republica reported Wednesday.
The accord signed by the president of Asolflores, Augusto Solano, and Environmental Vice Minister Carlos Castaño, aims to protect natural resources by reducing the consumption of water and energy in the production of flowers.
The flower exporters guild, whose 200 member companies export 70% of Colombia’s flowers, pledged to develop measures that minimize the use of resources by utilizing more practices from the use of more rainwater in irrigation to the measured consumption of water and energy overall.
Solano stated, “Among our members we are strengthening the ‘Green Flower’ philosophy which is already 15 years old. This is a socio-environmental program which is recognized by markets and guarantees that the flowers are produced under good labor practices and environmental standards.”
Castaño added, “These initiatives in the floriculture sector are part of the national policy of sustainable consumption and production that seeks to orientate the change in patterns of production and consumption of Colombian society towards environmental sustainability.”