THEALE, UK, June 18, 2013: The HTA welcomes the publication last month week of the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) report on the impact on the UK's horticultural sector of closing the SAWS scheme. The report highlights the importance of the scheme in terms of providing essential seasonal labour, and illustrates the potential negative impacts if the scheme is not extended or replaced at the end of 2013.
Gary Scroby, HTA Policy manager comments “The SAWS scheme which allows growers to recruit a quota of Bulgarian and Romanian low skilled workers for a period of no more than six months per annum has been heavily utilised in our seasonal industry. The MAC report usefully sets out the advantages of the scheme for growers (labour supply), retailers (reliable supply of British produce), SAWS employees (good wage and low living costs) and consumers (competitive prices).”
He adds, “The MAC report clearly spells out the ramifications of not replacing the SAWS scheme, i.e. higher prices for horticultural produce and a likely contraction of the industry in the long run. Scroby adds “the MAC report illustrates the benefits of SAWS and reflects strong demand from growers for a replacement scheme. We urge the government to recognise the benefits of a replacement scheme to help ensure the long term viability of a sector that contributes enormously to the UK economy, both in terms of UK produce and through the social and environmental benefits of ornamental horticulture. To do otherwise would lead to price inflation and more imports. That is not in the long term interests of the UK economy.”
Why horticulture and horticultural skills matter to the UK
THEALE, UK, June 14, 2013: Horticulture Matters, a report put together by the RHS, HTA and other key industry stakeholders, which is being presented to Government today, concludes that unless we tackle the skills shortage immediately, the UK will face a serious crisis in years to come.
HTA Director General Carol Paris, comments, “The importance of horticulture to the UK cannot be overstated. It plays a fundamental role in the economy, society, the environment and in ensuring food security. We need to invest in horticulture now to secure its long term future.”
She adds, “With such a serious skills shortage in the sector we need to change perceptions to show the diversity of exciting opportunities that exist within horticulture and how this can offer a serious and rewarding career for talented people.”
HTA, with its own dedicated Training & Careers Team, has begun to tackle the issues highlighted within the report and will continue to support the wider ‘Timetable for Change’. Details are spelt out in HTA’s Strategy for developing people in the garden industry 2012-2014 but key actions include:
• HTA Pathfinders Group - has been set up and will continue to expand. Group members will become Ambassadors for the industry - defining and implementing career initiatives – and presenting these to potential entrants and target audiences.
• Apprenticeships - HTA are also encouraging members to consider apprenticeships by providing business examples of ‘Apprenticeships in Action’, followed with a guide on the benefits of recruiting apprentices from an employers’ perspective and how to do it. HTA has recognised the need to cut through the reams of information available on apprenticeships to ensure garden industry businesses have just what they need to make the right decisions.
• Training – The availability of quality, relevant training and qualifications is key to enticing entrants that expect to be able to monitor their progression within the industry. HTA’s Garden Retail Diploma (accredited by Lantra Awards) provides a unique tool for this alongside workshop-based training available to members and the increased provision of e-learning.
• Mapping careers – HTA is committed to mapping career paths to highlight entry points and progression opportunities for people with relevant skills but maybe working in different sectors.
• Careers marketing – HTA will maintain its support for the GROW Careers initiative whilst ensuring the specific opportunities for careers in garden retailing, plant production, landscaping and garden product manufacturing are highlighted to potential entrants and the advisory services they rely on.
BOGOTA, Colombia, June 11, 2013: The Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, met with Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos on May 27th, 2013, to discuss security issues, the war on drugs and the recent Free Trade Agreement between the two nations. Afterwards, Vice President Biden toured a Colombian flower farm together with his attending US delegation to get a firsthand glimpse of what Colombian flower production entails and to take the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the farm’s flower workers.
Biden’s visit to ‘Flores de Serrezuela’, an Asocolflores member farm, was the only one made by the second-in-command of the United States to any private-sector company in Colombia; a clear validation of the importance of the flower industry for commercial ties between the two nations. It was a nod to the top spot the industry has earned and the proceedings Asocolflores has spearheaded at both the US-congress and US-government levels over the years.
Seen in the picture below is the Vice President of the United States who was pleasantly surprised by the gift of a bouquet of Colombian roses given from a flower worker.
Colombian eco labels strengthen ties
BOGOTA, Colombia, June 11, 2013: On Wednesday, May 22nd a mutual acknowledgment framework between Rainforest Alliance Certified® and Florverde® Sustainable Flowers was signed into being in Bogota, Colombia making dual certification processes a reality. Present at the event were representatives of the Flower farms, along with partner institutions Asocolflores, Florverde and the ‘Fundación Natura’.
The Rainforest-Florverde pact synthesizes a 2-year drive toward putting required technical aspects in place for those flower companies interested in acquiring certification in both schemes via a single audit employing unified check-lists and a complementary module for additional Florverde criteria. The new joint module allows for both certificates to be issued via a single evaluation and grants permission to display both brands side-by-side.
From left to right: Sandra Restrepo, manager at Naturacert, Augusto Solano, president of Asocolflores, Elsa Matilde Escobar, director at Fundación Natura and Ximena Franco, director at Florverde® Sustainable Flowers.
Participation and fundraising campaign announced for pilot test of National Sustainable Agriculture Standard LEO-4000
MADISON, USA, May 17, 2013: Leonardo Academy announced the launch of a participation and fundraising campaign for the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard LEO-4000. The LEO-4000 standard has reached an important milestone. It is now entering the technical edit phase in order to be published as a draft standard, which will be sent to the Standard Committee for approval of the initiation of the public comment period.
This is a rare opportunity to not only support the development of the only public and transparent agricultural sustainability standard, but donors will be identified in standard materials as a founding sponsor.
Michael Arny, President of Leonardo Academy, said, "At this critical juncture your company is encouraged to participate and/or make a donation to fund the pilot testing and completion of the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard."
As will be demonstrated during pilot testing, LEO-4000 will provide users with a smooth path through the increasingly confusing range of proprietary sustainability information requests and standards for agricultural products. LEO-4000 is a comprehensive sustainability standard which provides a stable and reliable platform for producers to use in documenting compliance to these proprietary sustainability standards.
In addition, the pilot will include documenting how earning USDA Organic certification provides producers a tremendous leg up toward earning LEO-4000 sustainability certification. This equivalency will make it very practical for producers earning Organic certification to also earn LEO-4000 certification.
Leonardo Academy is initiating the technical edit of the draft standard so that it can be released as a draft standard and be presented to the Standard Committee for a vote on initiation of the public comment period. To drive the sustainability benefits of this standard across the marketplace we need your company's financial support and your participation in the pilot testing. Leonardo Academy is looking for participation and sponsorship commitments by July 1, 2013.
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