On 23 November, the annual meeting between MPS and Danish growers from Flora Dania took place in Funen, the heart of the Danish flowers and ornamentals industry. During the meeting, our Regional Coordinator Anne Krogh Larsen and Area Manager Maik Mandemaker provided insights into matters such as aggregated, historical usage by our Danish growers, and discussed several developments in sustainability. They also shared important insights with the growers about preparing for an audit.
Because the vast majority of nurseries in Denmark have already been MPS-ABC certified for years, it is possible to identify trends in a significant portion of the Danish production market. For example, the average crop protection usage has almost halved in comparison with the benchmark year of 2017. In particular, the use of chemical crop protection agents (marked red in the MPS-MIND system) in 2022 was just 2% of the usage five years previously.
While the majority of our Danish growers specialise in pot plants, perennials and trees, Denmark is also home to a variety of experts in cut flowers. Company visits during the rest of the week once again demonstrated the impressive efforts our Danish growers have made towards working with organic crop protection, biostimulants and microorganisms. Other sustainable solutions included peat-free substrates, biodegradable pots, and efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and comply with CSRD legislation and FSI2025 targets. Aside from growers, we also visited our retail partners Coop i Danmark and ICA Gruppen, as well as a few of our traders, to further encourage cooperation in the chain.
It was a valuable, interesting visit that enabled us once again to both gain and share a great deal of knowledge. We look forward to next year!
Over 30 years ago, my journey at MPS began after I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. After the birth of my daughter, I was looking to return to work and joined the data entry department. At the time, all data was still entered manually from paper forms. Since then, I have seen the organisation grow and change, and I have grown along with it.Today, I work in the Service & Support department. No two days are the same: one day I help a customer with questions about record-keeping, the next I help them understand requirements from the auction or the UO. It is precisely this variety and the personal contact with customers that make my work interesting every day.
In 2008, I joined MPS through a recruitment agency as a secretary. I then held various positions within MPS and MPS-ECAS, including roles in the Service & Support team and as a planner. In 2018, I left the organisation for a while, but in 2023 I returned to MPS-ECAS as a back-office employee. The people are simply too much fun and the world of ornamental horticulture is so innovative that it kept drawing me back. Shortly afterwards, I started working at MPS as Coordinator Netherlands.
During the final year of my Environmental Sciences degree, I joined MPS for an internship. The internship worked out so well for both sides that I was able to stay afterwards. It felt like a natural next step, because I immediately felt at home here and was given the opportunity to continue developing myself.My work is very varied. I work on different projects and products, carry out research and analyses and contribute to practical solutions. I also manage various systems, support customers with complex technical questions and work with external parties. It is precisely this combination that makes my work interesting and ensures that no two weeks are the same.
I first joined MPS through a friend who worked in MPS’s student team. I continued working here while studying Commercial Economics, and at the end of my studies, in 2004, MPS asked if I wanted to join the organisation permanently. It seemed like a great opportunity, and more than twenty years later, I am still here.No two days are the same, and that is exactly what makes my work so enjoyable. A large part of my week consists of project meetings and translating needs from within the organisation into practical solutions. Thursday afternoon is a regular fixture, which I set aside with a colleague to make MPS 1% better every week. For example, we experiment with AI, build prototypes, improve processes or develop new ideas. The goal is always to work smarter and create more value for colleagues, customers and the organisation.