Dutch – Thai Floriculture Forum 2024 in Bangkok Envisions Collaboration on Innovation & Sustainability
The “Thai – Dutch Floriculture Forum 2024” welcomes over 200 active players (growers, researchers, policymakers, and academics) from the floriculture sector of Thailand, its neighboring countries, and the Netherlands. Together with experts from the Netherlands and Thailand, the participants have exchanged experiences and visions for an innovative and sustainable floriculture industry. Apart from that, the Floriculture Forum 2024 in Bangkok creates a unique platform, inspiring the floriculture sector to envision collaboration on innovation for climate-resilient floriculture.
Global Climate Change, Growers, Innovation, and the International Floriculture Industry
Together with the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation Thailand, the Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok jointly organized the “Thai – Dutch Floriculture Forum 2024” on 24th October 2024. More than 200 active players in floriculture, agriculture, and horticulture across the Kingdom (growers, universities, relevant ministries and departments, businesses, and branch organizations) as well as participants from the Netherlands and neighboring countries, are participating.
Nowadays, growers worldwide have been increasingly adopting innovation and technology for floriculture and agricultural cultivation to ensure better productivity and quality. Therefore, CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) has become an interesting trend for building an innovative and sustainable floriculture ecosystem in many areas. Experts from Thailand and the Netherlands, along with participants, shared their experiences at the Forum.
Both Thailand and the Netherlands have unique innovations and experiences in the floriculture sector. It’s essential to share these to find solutions to current challenges and to make the floriculture sector resilient. The Netherlands is internationally recognized for its vibrant, innovative, and sustainable excellence in the floriculture, horticulture, and agri-food sectors. The Thai – Dutch Floriculture Forum 2024 helps create a platform to strengthen cooperation for innovative and sustainable floriculture, not only between Thailand and the Netherlands but also with the international floriculture sector. The Thai – Dutch Floriculture Forum 2024 is part of an event to celebrate the 420th Anniversary of Thai – Netherlands Relations in 2024.
- H.E. Mr. Remco van Wijngaarden, Ambassador of the Netherlands, stated in his opening remarks at the Forum.
Thai - Dutch Floriculture Forum in Bangkok is an excellent opportunity for Thai and Dutch experts to meet and exchange knowledge. Developing an innovative and sustainable floriculture sector in Thailand requires collaboration, which, while essential for gradual progress, is still rare and challenging. Strong leadership from frontrunners will be key in this effort. Moreover, a long-term vision focused on return on investment, rather than a short-term, cost-driven approach, is essential.
- Mirjam Boekestijn (Dutch Greenhouse Delta)
There are many opportunities where the Netherlands and Thailand can work together and learn from each other in horticulture and floriculture. Thailand has an ambition to produce more flowers, plants, and vegetables locally in the most sustainable way. Looking for ways to work together more and focus on clustering can be a way to achieve such ambitions. As the local government, together with the Netherlands Embassy, our companies, and organizations like Dutch Greenhouse Delta, we are looking forward to seeing how we can cooperate with Thai key players.
- Ivo Meijer (Municipality of Westland)
