ACCEZ is an independent organization focused on the sustainability transition in greenhouse horticulture, among other sectors. The Coalition of the Willing consists of a group of driven greenhouse horticulturists who embrace and drive sustainability in the sector. On a sunny Thursday afternoon, we spoke with Arjan van der Voort, former operational director Zentoo, member of the Coalition of the Willing and co-initiator of the Ornamental Horticulture Accelerators, Judith Schueler, director ACCEZ and Evelien van den Brink, Accelerator at ACCEZ. We talked about how the realization 'that things have to be different' is slowly sinking in within the sector, about ACCEZ's role in that awareness and about what steps have been made so far.
The first 'Aha' moment
Arjan has to be very honest about that: 'It was a financial incentive in 2016 that got us thinking. I was responsible at Zentoo for fifteen chrysanthemum growers with a total of 100 hectares of chrysanthemums. The cost of chemicals to control the pests was getting so high that it was almost no longer profitable to grow chrysanthemums. So, through our suppliers, we started looking for other options, where we would have to use less chemistry. Eventually we arrived at natural control using bugs instead of pesticides. 'That's where our green journey started, in which we looked at the entire cultivation process.' Arjan came to the conclusion that there was quite a bucket of work ahead for not only chrysanthemum growers, but actually for the entire greenhouse industry. With increased social pressure came the insight to make real changes. 'In 2022, we started approaching large companies within the ornamental horticulture sector step by step and this is how the 'Ornamental Horticulture Accelerators' came into being, working closely with the Coalition of the Willing.' Currently, through the grower associations, 80 percent of all greenhouse growers are represented in the Coalition of the Willing. In collaboration with ACCEZ, the group has embarked on an action and learning process to jointly develop sustainable solutions.
Will you join us on a learning journey?
The first year of the cooperation was one of discovery, acquiring knowledge and learning a certain mindset, or: a learning journey. Arjan: 'In order to embark on such an integrated change process, the existing mindset of quick fixes and only money-driven entrepreneurship has to change completely.' Learning that mindset takes time and that is exactly what entrepreneurs do not have. Imagine a room full of entrepreneurs who are in action mode day in and day out. With a motto "don't bullshit, but clean up" and with a tendency to solve pain points immediately. Add to that room a couple of ACCEZ process facilitators who start the meeting with terms like 'slow down, embrace uncertainty and experiment' and you have the puppets figuratively dancing. Arjan was frequently asked, "So what are we going to do now?
However, slowing down, experimenting and embracing uncertainty are indeed necessary in this process. In the program with ACCEZ, the entrepreneurs first listened, thought and then decided together: what will be the right path, which turn do we take? That way you let things flow much more and you also get a much greater sense of belonging, Judith said. According to her, real change requires time and love. Judith: "As far as I am concerned, there is not enough room for that in today's society. The rush and our project-driven behavior make for superficial knowledge sharing, but lacks the necessary deep-seated feeling behind it. And that is badly needed to get that intrinsic motivation.' This collaboration requires a holistic approach where you look at the bigger picture. Evelien: 'We simply could not plan two years ahead with this issue, because there is a lot of uncertainty to embrace. We don't know what the future looks like, but we know that future is coming. So you have to start small and manageable. With an experiment agenda, after a period of getting to know each other, we just started.'
We know more together than I do alone.
To arrive at good insights, ACCEZ involved researchers from several universities in the project. Shortly after entrepreneurs and researchers met, the group came to an important conclusion: entrepreneurs need to be aware of where the bottlenecks are and research needs to be done on them. Now, often a researcher or student comes up with a topic and entrepreneurs have to agree. 'That is not demand-driven and sometimes even nonsensical,' Arjan said. Students and researchers can play an essential role in finding answers to the relevant questions. Many questions are about the technical aspects. However, Judith wants to emphasize that soft questions are increasingly being asked as well: How do we get a movement? What behavior do we want to change? Judith: "To get those questions answered, all parties have to work together, and that is a great development. And by all parties, Judith means entrepreneurs, government, research and education. 'Entrepreneurs get stuck if they get insufficient support from the lobby and the government. It is up to education to embrace innovation and dare to be demand-driven. That leads to action research and innovative education, focused on growing with nature.'
Talking loudly, repeating a lot
According to Arjan, if you want to convert a group of growers/entrepreneurs, you have to "talk tough and repeat a lot. It is also important to acknowledge and recognize pain points. But once you get them on board, there is no stopping them. The pointing fingers to the outside world have changed into joined hands. From 'if they go, we go', to 'we are just going to do this, all of us', says Arjan. And that, as far as he is concerned, is the best result of the program with ACCEZ so far: the change of that all-important mindset. There is now a radical sustainability agenda in which cooperatives are investing beyond competitive walls. There is a dyke of collective knowledge and a tight network where people can build on each other with transparency as the key word. The new program Future Makers is a logical next step in which the three years of accumulated knowledge is brought together in a four-day program for young entrepreneurs that focuses on personal growth, the sustainable development of greenhouse farms and the greater good in society. The central question is 'how do you take yourself, your own organization and the sector to the next level?
This article is part of the Regioportret Westland (article 1/3). With it we visualize how education and business in the Westland region work together on 'Sustainability skills': the skills needed in the circular economy of the future. We hope to inspire other regions to accelerate the transition to the circular economy.
