“There was not an association like ours to support the commercialization of Spanish floriculture, yet,” says Emilio Estévez, President of ACPO. The Spanish association was born a year ago, after the challenges of the pandemic resulted in local companies needing support. And this support was needed, as especially networking has been a major challenge for Spanish companies these past years. “So far, members of the association have been able to grow the position of their plants in the Spanish market through our help.” 
Emilio Estévez
The need for a new association
According to Estévez, the decision to start ACPO was during the worst moments of the pandemic. “There are other associations in Spain that are related, such as for plant shops, but not yet anything to support the commercialization of Spanish plants. Therefore, we decided to establish a national organization that brings together and represents the companies that produce and market ornamental plants.”
And there are several aspects with which ACPO can help floriculture companies. “We promote the use of ornamental plants, enhancing their value as a staple product. We also promote Good Agriculture Practices, in order to approach sustainable, economically profitable and safe production. In addition, we help companies with logistics, marketing their plants to the final customer. All of this is very necessary for Spanish companies, as it is difficult for one enterprise to get access to the entire chain. In Spain, the plant industry is not as big as it is in other countries, making it difficult for local companies to reach the chain and their final customer. Especially since the pandemic, networking has become more difficult, so we are able to help them with this important aspect.”
Bigger gardens, more interest in plants
Estévez explains that the state of the Spanish floriculture market has improved since the pandemic. “The demand for Spanish flowers and plants has been going up. These past years, more and more people are leaving the busy cities, and opting for bigger houses with bigger gardens instead. This has resulted in more interest in plants. Therefore, it is a good moment for Spanish floriculture, as consumers are thinking more in green.”
Interested in joining?
ACPO is very welcoming of any new members. “Especially when it comes to networking, it is very beneficial to join our association, as we can connect you to the right people. The work we do is almost like caring for a family, we stay connected and help each other as much as necessary.”
For more information:
ACPO
[email protected]
www.acpo.es