Flower farmer and campaigner Roisin Taylor NSch 2023 has published her Nuffield Farming report ‘Revival and Survival: is the British cut flower industry prepared for a 2-degree warming world?’, sponsored by the John Oldacre Foundation.
During her Scholarship, Taylor travelled to New Zealand, Kenya, the Netherlands, and the UK.
In her report, Taylor said, “The UK market for fresh flowers and indoor plants is valued at £2.2 billion, but only approximately 10 per cent of that is grown in the UK. Since the 1980s, our national cut flower industry has been in a steep decline. What happened to our cut flower industry, and how can growers survive in the face of a 2-degree warming world?
“Against the backdrop of a powerful $9.6 billion global industry, and the flower markets of Holland out-competing UK growers on price, what would it take for them to truly thrive? A 2-degree warming world means increases in pests and disease, unpredictable temperature extremes, flooding and droughts, but so far the flower growing sector has focused solely on emissions reduction. Where is the discussion about resilience, future proofing, and adaptation?”
During her travels, Taylor found that answers to resilience lay in how communities respond to emergencies, as well as how they exchange and share knowledge.
“The ideal place for climate adaptation is on a farming scale where farmers feel empowered to take action with the knowledge and research to back up their decisions, and with financial incentives from governments,” explained Taylor.
However, meeting growers in the UK, Roisin found that there were significant issues around infrastructure, energy costs, a lack of incentives for relevant sustainability practices, or access to R&D. She said, “There exists a vicious cycle of growers under financial pressures, leading to the government and civil society dismissing the sector, leading to a further lack of investment.”
Taylor concluded that the most substantial roadblock to change is division and a struggle for survival. She said, “While financial pressures and high levels of international competition impact our sector, there are nevertheless emerging opportunities on the horizon as a result of climatic change.
“But no-one is leading with a unified voice, advocating to the government, civil society, or the public, at a time where growers are clamouring for support. We need a dedicated sector body that specialises in floriculture, taking positive, inclusive action with effective campaigning and advocacy, and dedicated research.”