GreenCHAINge (BO-25.07-001-001)

GreenCHAINge

Plant breeders, growers and wholesalers, import and export, are working together in the GreenCHAINge project to further increase the sustainability of transport flows. An important aspect is the switch from air freight to sea freight and from road transport to rail transport. Energy savings at international floriculture transport is an essential objective in this project. The CO2 reduction in the various commercial routes will be described in the work packages. The Dutch Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products (VGB) coordinates and arranges practical tests in cooperation with horticultural network LTO Groeiservice and Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research. LTO Groeiservice is tasked with the plant health component, which means maintaining quality from production in the Netherlands and through the export flows. Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research is to give substance to the research component. This project is being funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs; Topsector Tuinbouw and the Netherlands Product Board for Horticulture.

Goal

GreenCHAINge wants to:

• stimulate sustainable logistical combinations in the international floricultural sector to reduce CO2 emissions;
• Continuously monitor plant health on the basis of good initial quality, choice of cultivar by the producer and conditioned transport, so as to guarantee quality for the consumer.

Targets

GreenCHAINge targets for 2020 are:

• to have 40% of imports to Europe and 20% of export flows within Europe transported by sustainable logistical combinations, with the emphasis on rail and ship;
• to realize an annual reduction of 160 million kg in CO2 emissions for the (international) floricultural sector.

 

GreenCHAINge analyses:

• which varieties of various species of flowers and plants are suitable for long-distance container transport;
• whether the right refrigeration, humidity, packaging and other conditions are in place immediately after harvesting;
• whether a completely closed production and transport chain is possible with optimum conditioning and refrigeration.