Lucie de Vélez Awards presented in Colombia
In a world urgently demanding concrete actions for sustainability, the Lucie de Vélez Awards for Sustainability and Shared Value, presented annually by Asocolflores, highlight the transformative initiatives being led by Colombian flower growers. This year’s ceremony, held during the association’s General Assembly, honored two outstanding projects that exemplify environmental stewardship and social innovation within the floriculture sector.
Now in its fourth edition, the awards are designed to showcase, recognize, and share high-impact experiences that generate environmental and social value. Named after Lucie de Vélez, a fiesty Australian who travelled to Colombia as a young nurse, fell in love and married a grower and went on to become one the most esteemed leaders and advocates for worker welfare and community development in Colombian floriculture. Now the Awards have become a powerful platform for exchanging successful practices among member companies of Asocolflores and reinforcing the sector’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In the Social Category – “Safe Environments & Extracurricular Activities” C.I. Jardines de los Andes based in Cundinamarca, just outside Bogota were awarded the top prize for providing a safe, holistic environment for the children and grandchildren (aged 6 -14) of employees and retirees. With a combination of academic reinforcement, homework assistance, and recreational activities, the program enhances children’s socio-emotional and educational development, while also improving work-life balance for families.
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In the Environmental Category – “Reverdece Gualí” - Sunshine Bouquet S.A.S, Funza, took the top prize for their amazing restoration of 4.6 hectares near the Gualí wetland. The project integrates native species reforestation, invasive species removal, and advanced soil recovery techniques and has successfully sequestered over 224,000 kg of CO₂ annually and reinforced vital ecosystem services and local biodiversity.
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A Platform for Sustainable Transformation
The evaluation process, guided by a jury of experts from sustainability, academia, and business sectors, emphasized three main criteria: value generation, innovative transformation, and replication potential.
Commenting on the Awards, Augusto Solano, President of Asocolflores said; “Given the global challenges we face, especially in sustainability, encouraging innovation, fostering research, and sharing knowledge are essential for our sector. These awards reflect our industry’s ability to respond to such challenges with concrete, scalable solutions.”
About Asocolflores: Leading the Path of Responsible Floriculture
With over 50 years of experience, Asocolflores continues to position Colombian floriculture globally through its Flowers of Colombia brand. The guild's sustainability strategies are supported by programs like Florverde® Sustainable Flowers, which certifies flower farms across the world promoting rainwater usage, waste reduction, carbon footprint mitigation, and biodiversity conservation, among others.
Through its robust sustainability model and award programs such as the Lucie de Vélez Awards, Asocolflores reinforces the industry’s capacity to contribute positively to people’s lives, communities, and the planet.
