By Melinda Knuth, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Horticultural Science, NC State University

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Sustainability in floriculture extends beyond environmental stewardship to include social sustainability. Social sustainability is commonly defined as the maintenance and enhancement of human well-being, equity, social inclusion, and quality of life across current and future generations (McKenzie, 2004; Vallance et al., 2011).

Within agricultural and horticultural industries, social sustainability encompasses fair labor practices, worker health and safety, opportunities for education and advancement, community engagement, and the development of resilient social networks that support both businesses and the communities in which they operate. Social sustainability represents an equally important pillar of sustainable development, alongside environmental and economic sustainability, contributing to the long-term viability of organizations and supply chains (Purvis, Mao, and Robinson, 2018).

Floriculture operations rely on skilled labor to produce high-quality plants and flowers. As consumer interest in how products are grown continues to expand, there is an increasing opportunity to communicate how businesses are investing in people as part of their overall sustainability efforts. Many floriculture businesses already engage in socially responsible practices, such as providing safe working environments, investing in employee training, and supporting local communities. The opportunity lies in communicating these efforts in ways that resonate with consumers and reflect the floral industry’s ongoing growth and evolution.

Below is a list of eight strategies you may consider incorporating into your communications with some example messaging.

Strategy 1. Translate Social Practices into Consumer-Relevant Benefits

Social sustainability practices are often internal and not immediately visible to consumers. As a result, they must be translated into meaningful, relatable outcomes. Rather than focusing solely on internal processes (e.g., training programs or workplace policies), communication should highlight what these efforts mean in practice. Below are two examples with the effort italized to emphasize where the benefit is communicated. Framing social sustainability in terms of human impact and product value helps consumers connect these efforts to their purchasing decisions.

“Supporting a skilled team that takes pride in growing high-quality plants.”

“Investing in people who grow the flowers you enjoy.”

Research on stakeholder theory suggests that organizations create value not only for customers but also for employees, suppliers, communities, and society more broadly (Hörisch et al., 2014; Freeman, 1984). Communicating social sustainability, therefore, involves demonstrating how business practices contribute to the well-being of multiple stakeholder groups. By highlighting these broader social benefits, businesses can help consumers understand the interconnected relationships that support sustainable production systems.

Strategy 2. Emphasize Transparency and Ethical Credibility

Trust is a foundational component of sustainability communication. Social sustainability relies on attributes that consumers cannot directly observe, making transparency essential. In floriculture, there is minimal communication between the end consumer and the grower. Social media engagement helps with this, but so does labeling and campaigns with partnering retailers. Retailers can capitalize on this by highlighting products from partners committed to social sustainability through clear, specific communication. Below are two examples, with the effort italicized to emphasize where credibility is communicated.

“Sourced from farms committed to fair working conditions under the [XX] Certification. Learn more about the certification here. (QR code to the specific certification webpage or link to the partner’s webpage or your webpage discussing your social sustainability)”

“Supporting responsible growing practices across our supply chain.”

Third-party certifications, when applicable, can further reinforce trust. Providing accessible information about sourcing and practices allows consumers to better understand the values behind the product. See Sustainabloom’s list of sustainability certificaciones.

Strategy 3. Frame Social Sustainability as Business Growth and Shared Value

Social sustainability can be effectively communicated as part of ongoing business growth and investment. In fact, economic, environmental, and social sustainability must all be present to be truly sustainable. Rather than positioning these efforts as obligations, they can be framed as integral to building strong, resilient operations. Below are two examples where the business value is italicized.

“We invest in our team because it strengthens the quality of what we produce.”

“Supporting our employees helps us deliver consistent, high-quality plants.”

This framing highlights the connection between employee well-being, operational strength, and product quality. Incorporating key terminology from your business mission or vision can connect your social sustainability to your core principles. Positioning social sustainability as a shared value reinforces that these efforts benefit both the business and the consumer. Not sure how sustainability fits into your core principles yet? See Sustainabloom’s Planning Templates, available for retail florists, wholesale florists, and growers.

This approach aligns with the concept of shared value, which suggests that businesses can simultaneously enhance competitiveness while addressing societal challenges (Porter & Kramer, 2011). Investments in employee development, workplace quality, and community relationships can generate benefits for workers, businesses, and consumers alike. Communicating these investments as drivers of both social and economic performance reinforces the strategic role of social sustainability within floriculture operations.

Strategy 4. Use Storytelling to Highlight the People Behind Production

Social sustainability is inherently about people, making storytelling a highly effective communication strategy. Consumers already associate floriculture products with emotional experiences such as celebrations, sympathy, and personal expression. Highlighting the people involved in production builds on this connection. Two companies that I have seen communicate their sustainability well are Pontetresa Roses and Metrolina Greenhouses. Pontetresa Roses weaves their passion for sustainability into the core purpose of their business, and that shines through in how they do business with others and their branding. Metrolina Greenhouses social media storytelling shares what they are doing from a casual, narrative voice that is easy for consumers to follow. Each communicates differently, but effectively.

Storytelling humanizes the supply chain, strengthens emotional connection, and increases transparency and trust. Knowing who specifically is growing, packing, transporting, and designing their flowers offers a peek behind the curtain and deepens the storytelling.

Examples include:

• Sharing stories of greenhouse staff and their roles in plant production
• Highlighting team members involved in sustainability initiatives
• Creating short videos showing daily operations, with narration or employee perspectives
• Show unpacking/packing videos
• Sustainability being present in branding

Storytelling transforms social sustainability from an abstract concept into a tangible and meaningful part of the product experience.

Strategy 5. Connect Local and Global Community Impact

Social sustainability messaging can reflect both local and global contributions. Positioning these efforts as part of a broader commitment to supporting communities reinforces the role of floriculture businesses in contributing to a strong and connected industry.

For locally grown products, highlight job creation and community engagement, and emphasize your business’s contributions to local and state community economies. Another local effort can be to share the impact of partnering with another local business in your community. This is a common technique for cross-promotion, but the angle in this type of messaging is how the partnership positively impacts the community, not just highlighting the partnership. For example, Mayesh has partnered with Rosaprima to swap single-use plastic sleeves for paper sleeves.

For globally-sourced products, communicate responsible sourcing practices and highlight partnerships with growers committed to employee well-being. Smithers-Oasis has great examples of how they educate their globally distributed consumers on their Designing a Better World webpage.

Social sustainability literature frequently highlights the importance of social capital, which is the networks, relationships, and trust that enable communities and organizations to function effectively (Magis, 2010; Putnam, 2000). By supporting local economies, community organizations, and grower partnerships, floriculture businesses contribute to the development of social capital that strengthens communities over time.

Strategy 6. Segment Consumers Based on Ethical Engagement

Consumers vary in their level of interest in social sustainability, and messaging should reflect this diversity (Peattie, 2015). Some consumers actively seek out ethically produced products, while others respond more strongly when social sustainability is paired with value-based messaging such as quality or longevity. For consumers seeking ethically produced products, consider certifications such as Fairtrade, Certified B Corporation, or SA8000 (Social Accountability International) (Raynolds, 2012). However, a portion of consumers will continue to prioritize price and product performance. Therefore, it is within your purview to determine whether your target audience includes consumers highly interested in social sustainability or is more general. Within floriculture, this will vary from business to business, and not every business will have the same approach. Consider asking your own customers what they care about.

Effective communication strategies:

• Use concise, visible messaging for general audiences
• Provide additional detail through digital platforms for more engaged consumers
• Keep messaging accessible and avoid unnecessary complexity

Aligning communication with consumer preferences ensures that messaging remains relevant and effective across target audiences.

Strategy 7. Communicate Continuous Improvement

Social sustainability is an evolving aspect of business operations. There is no endpoint, just like there is no endpoint to improving business achievements. This should come through in messaging with consumers. Communicating progress over time reinforces authenticity and builds trust. Sometimes businesses are concerned about communicating innovative messaging and how that might look to the rest of the industry, or, in essence, about appearing to put down others who are doing good work by discussing a new practice that is starting to be adopted. This is a common challenge in sustainability communication.

The American Floral Endowment has an example of continuous improvement messaging posted on Facebook on how to do this: “We’re trying to cut down on the amount of floral waste that ends up in the landfill, so we added compost bins at each design station. We are working with a local composter to make sure this waste is handled responsibly and can be reused as nutrients for future plants.”

The most effective approach is to frame innovation as continuous improvement, leadership, learning, or investment, rather than implying that others are lagging behind or doing something wrong. I believe the key here is talking about the industry continuously innovating, as well as personal business innovation.

Instead of “We are leading the industry in employee development,” try instead “We are continually investing in employee development as part of our commitment to long-term sustainability.” This focuses on your business actions rather than comparisons.

Examples for individual businesses include:

• “Expanding employee training and development programs”
• “Continuing to strengthen workplace practices across our operations”
• “As the floriculture industry continues to evolve, we are expanding our efforts to support employee well-being and professional development.”

Sharing progress highlights commitment while reflecting the ongoing nature of improvement. This approach aligns with broader sustainability communication strategies (outside of floriculture) that emphasize transparency and growth.

Strategy 8. Integrate Social Sustainability into Brand Identity

Social sustainability messaging is most effective when embedded within the overall brand narrative rather than presented as a standalone attribute. In floriculture, where purchasing decisions are often made quickly and visually, consistency across touchpoints is critical. A cohesive brand narrative ensures that social sustainability is communicated clearly and repeatedly. A great example of this is Ball Horticultural Company’s 2025 Sustainability Report, where their leadership highlights the value of sustainability, incorporates it into their company goals, and commits to continued growth in sustainability, particularly in social sustainability.

Incorporations into your brand identity could look like:

• Incorporating social sustainability into product descriptions
• Aligning messaging across branding: signage, tags, websites, and social media
• Ensuring consistency between communicated values and implemented practices

If you are unsure how sustainability fits into your brand narrative, go back to keywords you use to describe your business and focus on how sustainability fits with those terms. “Sustainability” may not be a direct key term, but it may be implied! Thus, you could describe “quality” through the lens of social sustainability.

Employees also play an important role in reinforcing these messages. When staff understand and can communicate the business’s approach, it strengthens credibility and consumer trust.

Integrating social sustainability into brand identity positions it as a core component of how the business operates, supporting long-term differentiation and customer relationships.

Conclusión

Communicating social sustainability in floriculture involves translating internal practices into meaningful, consumer-facing messages that reflect the people behind production.

From a sustainability perspective, social responsibility contributes to organizational resilience, stakeholder trust, and long-term value creation. As consumers increasingly seek products aligned with their values, effective communication of social sustainability initiatives can help floriculture businesses differentiate themselves and demonstrate their commitment to supporting employees, communities, and supply chain partners.

Key strategies include:

1. Translating social practices into people-centered benefits
2. Building trust through transparency and credibility
3. Framing social sustainability as business growth and shared value
4. Using storytelling to highlight the people behind production
5. Connecting local and global community impact
6. Segmenting audiences for targeted communication
7. Communicating continuous improvement
8. Integrating social sustainability into overall brand strategy

These approaches support stronger connections between businesses, employees, and consumers while reinforcing the continued growth and evolution of the floriculture industry.

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