LWV24067 VASESHIP (TS-02-216-023)

The Kennis & Innovatie Agenda (KIA) sets forth ambitious goals for advancing knowledge and innovation in the field of Agriculture, Water, and Food. VaseSHIP contributes to these goals by addressing the sustainability challenges faced by the cut flower industry. Specifically, 1) transitioning from air freight to sea freight in long intercontinental chains and 2) alternative modalities to road transport of cut flowers from the Netherlands to the European markets. 
These transitions demand specific transport conditions and longer transit times resulting in unacceptable quality at the end of the chain, by the consumer at home. Over the last few years, public-private research has shown and 
triggered the transition from air to sea for roses. Building on this success, the industry is now aiming to scale this sustainable approach to other flowers with unique postharvest requirements, such as summer flowers.
VaseSHIP delivers the Standard Operating Procedure’s (Postharvest protocols for the postharvest handling, cooling, packaging and transport) of fresh cut flowers necessary to enable the transition to sustainable transport modalities 
as sea and rail freight. From the harvest moment the flowers are subjected to several handling steps until they reach the retail outlets. All these steps contribute to the final flower quality, interact with each other and have 
specific challenges. All together a complex puzzle that requires knowledge and research to 1) understand how/why flowers react to a prolonged transport period under specific conditions and 2) what postharvest technologies and 
strategies can be applied to overcome the impact on flower quality. VaseSHIP aims to develop postharvest solutions that enable long distance shipments and preserve flower quality. The strong VaseSHIP consortium includes partners from the flower industry covering almost the entire production and supply chain, as well as technical service providers (logistics, vase-life solutions) to warrant result-driven research focus. This research not only enhances the global competitiveness of the Dutch flower industry but also supports the country’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.