Consumer Demand and Preferences

Communicating Environmental Sustainability Messaging to Your Consumers

By: Melinda Knuth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Horticultural Science at NC State University Happy Earth Month! This is a significant sustainability holiday in U.S. history. Celebrated in April, Earth Day was created in 1970 to invigorate environmental protection into the national political agenda. This push was in-part due to Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, a significant oil spill that happened off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and general consumer concern over pollution. We have this push to thank for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, Earth Day is a natural anniversary of the modern environmental movement and is celebrated as a month-long event. In fact, now more than 140 countries celebrate with the U.S., making it a…

Apr 30, 2026

Progress Powered by Partnerships

Since its launch, Sustainabloom has become the go-to sustainability education resource for the floral community, uniting industry members and businesses to advance environmental, social, and economic progress. Together, in collaboration with researchers at North Carolina State University, Sustainabloom has created a foundation of knowledge, tools, and inspiration that’s transforming how floriculture businesses think about sustainability. With the help from industry experts, researchers, and industry partners, Sustainabloom has grown into a thriving hub for sustainability education. Our Founding Supporters helped pave the way for this work, and now we are calling on all floral businesses to help support future Sustainabloom efforts. Every dollar contributed to Sustainabloom goes directly toward creating free, high-quality, research-backed resources accessible to everyone, and we’ve already made…

Nov 13, 2025

From Data to Decisions: Using Consumer Insights to Grow Sustainably

Understanding existing and potential customers is one of the most critical strategies for success for businesses across all industries. The ability to tailor to customers’ needs and wants allows business owners to establish strong relationships, expand consumers and retain a hearty customer base. For floriculture businesses, the need to respond to consumer awareness of sustainability practices is no different. Simply put, environmentally sensitive customers will make their purchasing decisions with businesses that align with their values. In an effort to guide floriculture businesses in their sustainability efforts, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) developed Sustainabloom, a comprehensive collection of educational tools and resources derived from credible research and expert guidance. The initiative seeks to provide information in a clear, straightforward manner to help industry…

Apr 16, 2025

Sustainabloom Releases Four New Guides for Floriculture Sustainability

Sustainabloom, a leading resource for sustainability in the floriculture industry, has released four new industry guides to help businesses support their sustainability journey. These comprehensive guides offer insights and practical advice on Energy Efficiency, Carbon Accounting, and Inventory Management.Developed by Sustainabloom program researchers at NC State University, these guides provide industry members with the tools and knowledge they need to reduce their environmental impact and improve their business operations. The new guides released include: Carbon Accounting: The Carbon Accounting guide offers a comprehensive overview of this essential practice and helps businesses understand the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their operations, measure their carbon footprint, and begin to think about strategies for reduction and offsetting. By implementing carbon accounting, florists and growers can make informed…

Oct 10, 2024

Growing Greener Together

AFE Connects the Floriculture Industry with Sustainability Through Comprehensive Research Guides, Expert Resources For over six decades, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) has represented the entire floral community, providing and sharing free resources to everyone, thanks to the generosity of donors. As the industry’s leading charitable organization, AFE receives and collects donations to invest them, generating funding that advances floriculture through research, education, and special programming. Recently, the Endowment began a new project that aims to further that growth, this time focusing on helping industry members approach and become more actionable with sustainability. Sustainabloom is a research-driven program created to provide in-depth guides and resources about sustainability developed by top researchers in the field. The information is housed efficiently within our…

May 30, 2024