Colombia in Bloom: Insights from a Week in the World’s Cut Flower Powerhouse
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Introduction: Colombia is a global powerhouse in the cut flower industry, ranking as the world’s second-largest exporter of fresh-cut flowers. With its ideal climate, high-elevation farms, and robust infrastructure, the country supplies billions of stems annually to markets across North America, Europe, and beyond. In April 2025, a class of students from Cornell University had the unique opportunity to travel to Bogotá, Colombia and explore this thriving sector firsthand. Over the course of one week, we visited leading companies across the floral supply chain, from breeding and propagation specialists to vertically integrated post-harvest facilities with cold rooms and bouquet assembly lines. This paper highlights key insights from our journey and reflects on Colombia’s strengths, innovations, and challenges as a global floral leader.