Surveys show consumers prefer to buy local
Canada: Flower Growers' Organization creates pickOntario brand to promote local flowers
Similar to the local food movement, buying locally grown flowers means consumers get fresher produce while supporting local growers and the local economy. According to Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. (FCO), there are 250 greenhouse floriculture growers which employ 10,000 people in Ontario. Each year they produce 155 million bedding plants, 206 million cut flowers and 135 million potted plants worth $578 million. Ontario has the third largest floriculture industry in North America after Florida and California.
With growers facing increasing pressure from Colombian imports as a result of the Free Trade Deal of 2011 which eliminated tariffs on flowers, encouraging consumers to buy local is more important than ever.
When asked, consumers generally would prefer to support local growers. A survey at the Canada Blooms Garden Show in Toronto in 2010 indicated that 97% of people surveyed would prefer to buy locally grown flowers. The problem is that it's not always easy to tell the origin of flowers. That's where the pickOntario branding comes in.
In addition to plant labels, the pickOntario marketing campaign has included radio ads, advertising on delivery trucks, billboards in Toronto, and signage at the Ontario Food Terminal. They also work directly with all of the major grocery store chains to raise awareness of the pickOntario brand, says FCO Interim Marketing Manager, Laura Schouwenaar.
pickOntario is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Source: Helen Lammers-Helps/ Today's Farmer / Flowers Canada