In the US, two major Associations have recognised the need to work together for the benefit of the industry and serve their members more effectively and move forward.
Question is, have our Associations the desire to do the same ? Would that be good ? Your views?
Only time will tell...
""OFA - The Association of Horticulture Professionals and the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) are expanding on previous collaborations and forming a joint venture that involves the sharing of resources, including appropriate staff, to expand the capacity of the organizations to better support members and advocate the horticultural industry's interests before government and the general public.
According to the OFA website, the multi-faceted horticulture industry is undergoing dramatic changes. Economic strains, generational differences, and the changing interest in and need for gardening and landscape products are altering the way products and services are valued by consumers. Governmental activity and inactivity, financial uncertainty, and environmental changes are altering the way plants are being produced, bought and sold.
One solution is for trade associations to work together to build the capacity and governance structures to properly serve their members and the industry. To that end, the OFA/ANLA joint venture is expected to:
p.s bold italics are mine..
Replies
I have not personally the support I need or the public's recognition of the existing setups. Again like you I have focused on my needs and have achieved acreditations both personally and for my business.
I could stop there are simply say.....and stuff the rest of the industry..........but I don't as I personally care where this industry ( that provides our living ) ends up and how it is perceived by the public.
We all agree it is not recognised well by many parts of our society, nor is it the best paid.
The existing set up in landscaping has had 20-30-40 years (?) to get it right, fight on behalf of our industry. Can we honestly say much has been achieved by the incumbents ?
It needs a new, fresh approach. Slate wiped clean. A new beginning.
Can we learn for the USA - absolutely.
How to achieve - I don't have the answers, but it is why I keep returning to this subject.
It is soooo important to me....
p.s. I just realised what we don't do well is communicate to the public well enough. None of our existing, traditional organisations are champions of the B2C marketplace. That is why LJN et al are so compelling. It is non-exclusive, supportive, non judgemental (except by your peers) and importantly it rattles the hell out of the old guard ;-)
It's just too early to see BALI and APL to join (although the market place, the economy and politics might force them into a marriage sooner rather than later).
In short a coalition of BALI and APL will be disastrous for the majority of the landscape industry and it is essential to remain in opposition to change until everyone has had a say in what change means for everyone.