There’s Fashion in Flowers

By Jessie Hoover

LSU Ag Leadership Class XVIII

“There’s fashion in flowers” our guide explained to us. Flower growers are just like other agricultural producers; they choose varieties based on disease resistance, growing conditions, and yield, but with flowers there is another variable in the equation- fashion. What was fashionable in arrangements two years ago, may not be in vogue now.

Tuesday morning, we had the pleasure of a guided tour of Royal FloraHolland, the largest cut flower auction in the world. Not only is the auction company the largest in the world, the building itself is the largest building in Europe, sprawling over hundreds of acres just outside of Amsterdam. Royal FloraHolland was established in the early 1900s when Dutch flower growers decided they needed to come together to market their flowers. Prior to then, growers were selling their flowers by auction weekly at local pubs. Today, the auction company is still cooperatively owned by growers and averages 100,000 transactions per day.

Throughout our tour, we saw thousands and thousands of cut flowers being driven around by employees on small electric trolleys throughout the building. Our guide explained how flowers come from all over the world to go through the auction house. We learned about the Dutch auction process using a “clock” to count down the price. Buyers make decisions within seconds to fill their orders at the lowest price they can manage to bid.

Fashion plays a huge role in flower prices, but holidays, seasons, and availability can drive up prices as well. Once the flowers make their 18-hour journey through the FloraHolland facility, they are exported all over the world. Eighty percent of the flowers that go through the building are exported out of The Netherlands.

Royal FloraHolland was a highlight of the trip for me. One of the most fascinating insights is that cut flowers are shipped to The Netherlands from all over the world just for the auction. After the auction, the flowers might be shipped back to their home country or to a country near their home.

Cut flowers deliver happiness across the world every day. I am extremely grateful that I was able to see a snapshot of their journey through the Ag Leadership program.