Back

The social DNA of Florensis

What once started in 1941 as the family business ‘Hamer Bloemzaden’, has developed into a breeder and supplier of starting material to professional growers. With sales offices and production locations abroad, Florensis has put itself on the world map. And for that world we, as a socially involved company, would like to give something back! Regina Dinkla, Manager Sustainability & Corporate Communications and employed by Florensis since 2012, is happy to tell you about our social initiatives.

Think and act sustainably
Looking at the problems in the world, we are aware of the vulnerability of our living environment and the importance of making the sector more sustainable. We take our environmental and social responsibilities extremely seriously. This is part of our DNA and we are constantly working on it. Our sustainability policy is reflected in, for example, the use of low environmental impact crop protection agents and the avoidance of agents that are harmful to bees. In addition to using LED lights, reusable trays and breeding plants that can be grown sustainably, we are working daily to become even more sustainable at all our locations.

From the other part of sustainability, our social commitment, we want to contribute to the society around our locations at home and abroad. In Ethiopia, for example, we adopted a 15-hectare heavily eroded government land to plant trees, and now the Jogo Forest is growing there.

What I personally like very much is that we have built our own village next to our company in Kenya, where employees live with their families, with an early childhood school and a day nursery and the fish and drinking water project.

Roparun and Fancy Fair
Closer to home, the Roparun Foundation - for research against cancer and projects aimed at the care of cancer patients - is one of the most important organisations to which Florensis commits itself 100% every year. We support this with the participation of our Florensis Roparun team, which in 2022 will participate in the relay race for the 19th time, and the sale of Roparun lottery tickets.

In addition, we annually organise a Fancy Fair at our Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht location on the day before Mother's Day. This day has been well known in the region for years and attracts many visitors to buy all kinds of plants (including our own young plants). Half of the proceeds go to the Roparun Foundation and the other half to the following 5 projects in Kenya and Ethiopia:

- Summertime support to a poor community by providing food, maintenance of houses and clothing
- Expansion of a bakery to produce more bread and create more jobs
- Renovation of 4 old class rooms;
- A borehole solar-powered pump, which serves two schools and the neighbouring community
- Construction of 4 toilet blocks for the community.

After 2 years of cancellation due to corona, I am super happy that this great event can take place again and together with a group of colleagues we are busy with the organisation. On 7 May, we will be working hard again to achieve a great result! We would like to see you then, but if this is too far away and you still want to support our charity, then a financial contribution is also very welcome.

You can transfer this to account number: NL56.RABO.038.74.02.691 in the name of Florensis B.V., indicating Roparun.

We are happy to invite the most generous donors for a tour in our beautiful company, including a lunch.