AIPH Spring Meeting to Focus on Plastics and Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain in Ornamental Horticulture

The 2019 Spring Meeting of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) will be held from 1st – 4th April, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. A key event will be the AIPH Sustainability Conference on Tuesday 2nd April entitled: ‘Plastics in Ornamental Horticulture – Creating a Sustainable Supply Chain’.

The full-day conference will increase awareness of the issues associated with plastic use in ornamental horticulture (pots, sleeves, trays, buckets, greenhouse cladding etc.) and review initiatives underway to identify strategies and solutions for the future that will minimise environmental impact. The programme is filled with a wide range of speakers who will impart their knowledge and expertise from a variety of perspectives including retail, wholesale, growing and manufacturing. 

AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe, said “With many developments in the packaging industry, now is the time for this industry to work together to create a more sustainable supply chain.  This conference unashamedly focuses on the single issue of plastic with a view to creating change around the world that improves our vital industry.”

The four-day Spring Meeting will also include the AIPH Expo conference (1st April) and professional visits to leading nurseries and unique horticultural sites (3rd and 4th April).

The AIPH Expo Conference will consist of presentations from the organisers of AIPH approved events. Progress reports will be presented from four forthcoming A1 category international expos: Expo 2019 Beijing (China), Expo 2021 Doha (Qatar), Expo 2022 Floriade Almere (the Netherlands) and Expo Horticultural Łódź 2024 (Poland). Progress reports will also be presented on AIPH approved B, C and D category events.

The two-day professional visits programme will include: Dutch Flower Group; the Spring Fair Royal Flora Holland; a site-tour of Floriade Almere and a visit to stunning Keukenhof – ‘The Garden of Europe’.

The AIPH Sustainability Conference and Spring Meeting programme are open to anyone with a relevant interest or involvement in these areas. AIPH events provide a welcoming and invaluable opportunity for knowledge-sharing, idea-generation and networking for members in the horticulture industry worldwide.

For programme details and to book, visit: www.aiph.org. Prices cost €900 per person or €350 for the AIPH Sustainability Conference only (including lunch). For event enquiries please email Vanessa Stockton, AIPH Events Manager: events@aiph.org.

International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) Since 1948, AIPH has united horticultural producers in an international community that thrives to this day. Much has changed in that time. Technologies advanced, cities rose from the ground, and we have become more connected than ever. As a result, our essential bond with nature has been weakened. AIPH strives to reignite and uphold an appreciation of plants that we believe is a basic human instinct. We support the work of grower associations globally and together we champion a prosperous industry, growing plants that enhance lives, advance societies and sustain our planet, for this generation and the next.