I was having a great debate with some big players in the fruiting vegetable sector last week. The good old hot potatoes were up first: a human virus, a plant virus, the high cost of our gas addiction, and the shortage of ever more expensive helping hands. This last issue was cause for one person to exclaim: ‘Construction pays more, no wonder that’s where everyone’s going’. ‘Then we’ll just have to pay more’, countered another. He continues and declares: ‘We will have to invest in people at some point anyway. We’re all fine with investing in greenhouses, sorting machines and a geothermal wells, but we feel weird about investing in people. That’s not right, guys.’
Silence. The point has been made.
I feel a little less gloomy. More and more entrepreneurs are investing in themselves (a little). We have already welcomed about 150 entrepreneurs to our masterclasses over the last year alone. Growers United has founded a Future Proof programme for its entrepreneurs and upcoming talent. We have more than 100 young horticulture entrepreneurs in Young Executive groups, and Glastuinbouw Nederland and Rabobank are starting a new round of groups. We are tasked with running the successful Young Executive programme for the AVAG. The horticultural young people in Oostland also have a programme.
All the above is not enough for the future, of course, but the huge interest tells us something about how the mindset is changing. Investment in human capital is becoming more common. The focus on improving company culture, leadership, entrepreneurship, management skills, and soft skills is gaining traction. And a good thing it is, too. There are plenty of talented people who are interested in our sector. This generation is all about self-development. All we have to do is facilitate this and offer room to grow.
