INTRODUZIONE / INTRODUCTION
AN INCREDIBLE YEAR LEONARDO CAPITANIO PRESIDENT ANVE
T
he year 2020 had severely tested the sector by marking moments of uncertainty and confusion that are still alive in our memories. In fact, I am not surprised that during this past year the reaction of the markets and us producers has been just as decisive and proactive. We have lived through a challenging 2021 in which the main difficulty ( for our luck) has been to try to compensate the huge market demand against a scarce availability of plants. The “lesson” we learned from 2021 is this: we need plants. Trees, shrubs, flowering plants, gardens, parks. A real cultural revolution is happening, probably triggered by pandemic restrictions, which has pushed people around the world to demand greenery near and within their lives.
The demand for plants in 2021 is what economists call a MEGATREND that is a complex trend capable of producing significant changes in the long term and we nurserymen are the main actors. In order to work at our best and to be able to satisfy this huge demand on a global scale, we need to start an effective dialogue with the other actors of the supply chain, starting from suppliers, customers and contractors.
“We need to be able to plan production over the long term and move away from exclusive day-to-day sales.” This is necessary both to allow us to work while maximizing resources, and to be able, in part, to mitigate the very strong increase in the price of raw materials that we are experiencing. Our Association has caught these signals and we weren’t unprepared. In fact, as of January 1, 2021, ANVE has officially launched, along with 13 other European countries, the Green Cities Europe campaign. The project is coordinated by the lead partner ENA - European Nurserystock Association, co-financed by the participating Associations and REA (European Commission Executive Research Agency). An investment of 2 million euros has been foreseen with the aim of increasing the level of awareness of citizens and administrations regarding the environmental, economic and social well-being deriving from urban green areas. During the course of 2021 ANVE has carried out dissemination actions through interviews, publications and events (in situ and online) that we have encapsulated in a RECAP timeline published on the website www.thegreencities.eu. The project will see our
LEONARDO CAPITANIO PRESIDENTE ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE VIVAISTI ESPORTATORI
Association engaged again throughout 2022 and will end in 2023. In 2021 we had the satisfaction of seeing one of our dreams become a project concept. In fact, Italy will participate with its own garden-pavilion covering 1,000 square meters at the next EXPO Floriade 2022, which will be inaugurated on April 13 at Almere (Netherlands) and will last 6 months. Precisely in order not to leave anything to chance, the Organizing Authorities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ICE Agency and Ministry of Agriculture) have set up a Working Group to involve the operators of the supply chain by assigning the coordination to ANVE and AIAPP (Italian Association of Landscape Architecture). For ANVE it is an honor to participate actively with its proposals, certain that Italy will be able to give its best on this occasion.
“During the course of 2022, in addition to the EXPO, we will finally be able to participate again in the major national trade fair events with various appointments throughout the year.” ANVE will therefore return from 9 to 11 February at Flormart, with a special double edition that will be repeated from 21st to 23rd September. We will return to Myplant & Garden from the 23rd to the 25th of February (Fiera di Milano Rho) and we will 7