The online course 'Foundation in Sustainable Floristry' aims to equip florists with the tools to embed sustainability into their design and business practices. The Sustainable Floristry Network (SFN) developed the course as part of its mission to transform floristry through education. It was designed to be affordable and accessible.
"We see florists as champions of nature," says Rita Feldmann, a second-generation florist who founded the SFN. "But we're in the middle of an environmental crisis, and floristry is still unsustainable on many levels."
Rita Feldmann
The course is part of Flowers 2030, the SFN's continuing professional development education program. Flowers 2030 aims to give florists the knowledge and tools they need to create the products consumers are increasingly demanding.
Rita continues: "It all comes down to four core principles. Choose better flowers, design out waste, invest in ethics, and communicate with the community. The course unpacks these principles."
Through the course, participants learn how to assess the sustainability of a flower, develop clean supply chains, practice zero-waste design, participate in the circular economy, and overhaul their business practices.
The course tracks a flower's journey from soil to vase to illustrate the complex world of global floriculture. The course takes approximately nine hours but is self-paced and online, so florists can complete the course in their own time.
Cour course preview
Rita says that the creation of the course was a challenge. "There hasn't been a lot of work looking at sustainability in floristry. We had to synthesize an enormous amount of information from science, academia, NGOs, and industry experts – and then apply it all to the industry."
The SFN worked particularly closely with Professor David Bek (Coventry University) and Dr Jill Timms (University of Surrey) from the UK's Sustainable Flowers Research Project. David and Jill have been researching the cut flower industry for over two decades, and interviews with them form a large part of the course.
SFN Member Florists
Completing the Foundation in Sustainable Floristry is the first step to becoming an SFN member. SFN Member Florists display a digital badge to demonstrate their commitment to the movement and are listed on a directory customers can use to find more sustainable florists.
Free resources
The SFN website currently hosts free educational resources for florists. And they continue to build their library.
These articles break down key concepts in sustainability and give practical advice on topics such as sourcing seasonal flowers, creating eco-friendly displays, and alternatives to floral foam.
For more information:
Sustainable Floristry Network
sustainablefloristry.org