In western Kenya, at the foot of Mount Elgon, is Mount Elgon Orchards, one of the oldest horticultural farms in the country. It was the grandfather of the current owner Bob Andersen, who moved to Kenya from Sweden in 1920. As a botanist, he tested various fruit varieties;but for some years now, now the company only cultivates roses and avocados. In 2005, they also started Mount Elgon Trust, from which all kinds of projects arise for the employees and families of Mount Elgon Orchards.
Bob Andersen
Floating solar farm
Channa van der Spek, who works for Mount Elgon Orchards, explains that they strive to make the impact of their work visible. "We have always done a lot, but now we want to tell more about what is behind our roses," she says. "We are, for instance, in the process of planting one million trees, we have a hydropower plant in the river (water-powered generator), and we are one of the first with a floating solar panel farm in Kenya."
"We are also building new water basins to store a year's supply of rainwater. We also have an Ultra Filtration Unit, which purifies the recirculated water - water that flows out of the substrate, we collect and clean it so that no nutrients are lost. We use it to get clean drinking water for the workers." Our ambition is to be carbon-neutral in the near future." All this is happening alongside the school, hospital, and orphanage that were also founded by the Andersen family, and are supported by the Mount Elgon Trust.
Quality, responsibility, fun
"At the farm, they work with a team of about 1,600 employees, 80% of whom are permanent employees. The employees are well looked after; they receive on average 32% more pay than Fairtrade growers, receive daily lunch at work, extra bonuses, and free care when needed," Channa says. "Our core values 'Quality, Responsibility, and Fun' are reflected in several areas."
You could call the farm partially self-sufficient; milk comes from the cows that roam there, and maize is also produced on the farm. The hospital treats about 35,000 patients annually, while more than 3,300 students are educated at primary and secondary school. Recently, they also started vocational courses, where young people learn, for example, to become carpenters, hairdressers or seamstresses. There are also classes on agricultural cultivation, where Bob himself teaches about growing roses and avocados.
A new sleeve
Besides the many initiatives at Mount Elgon Orchards, they are also transforming the packaging of their roses, shares Channa. "In collaboration with Decowraps, we have developed a new sleeve that is 90% recycled plastic. On this packaging is a QR code, which links to a website where consumers can gain insight into the farm's sustainability initiatives. The cover has undergone quite a metamorphosis."
Kevin Maarssen of Decowraps is also happy with the collaboration, he says. "For Mount Elgon, we designed a whole range of new sleeves and updated the design with a focus on recognizability and sustainability. Most importantly, the sleeve is made from 90% recycled consumer waste and is fully certified. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the market, and we are committed to increasing the percentage of recycled materials. The products are already packed in Kenya in the recycled sleeve.and then transported to the Netherlands."
Packed at source
Mount Elgon Orchards' product range has also expanded to include Packed at Source, a collaboration with other growers in Kenya to supply bouquets. "We have a standard range, but we can also think with the customer and develop customer-specific lines," he says. The roses are sold not only through auctions in the Netherlands but also directly to customers in the UK and Scandinavia, with a significant proportion distributed through Rosehandling at the auction in Rijnsburg.
To get more of an idea of what happens at Mount Elgon, they have made a new mini-documentary. Watch the video here:
Mount Elgon Orchards will be present at the IFTF (stand B2.40), where you will also see the new promo video and hear more about Mount Elgon Trust, the roses, and the new packaging. Decowraps can be found at the Trade Fair, stand 1.55.
For more information: 
Channa van der Spek
Mount Elgon Orchards
[email protected]
www.mtelgon.com
Kevin Maarsen
Decowraps Europe
[email protected]
www.decowraps.com