Journeys

When a gardener, after careful examination, has chosen a new variety, they license it from the breeder and begin the propagation of the few plants in their experimental greenhouse. For roses, this involves the intricate process of grafting, where cuttings of the scion are joined with the rootstock from another variety. The root brings new characteristics that impart strength and resistance to the plant. Depending on the type of plant, the propagation method varies, but experience, hygiene and good gardening practices always create the best foundations for healthy plants.

For our discerning customers, we source from over 50 suppliers in 12 countries worldwide. We are selective in choosing farms that work with a focus on quality, maintain good gardening practices and hold demanding certifications. Perhaps most importantly, we seek partners who share the same passion and love for flowers that burns in us.

Under ideal climate conditions, in rich volcanic soils and lovingly looked after by the gardeners, the flowers thrive in greenhouses. Healthy plants grow in fresh air and are suited to the climate, well-nourished and robust.

Beneficial Organisms:

While it's not always possible to completely avoid traditional pesticides, gardeners prefer to work with beneficial organisms and antagonists. This involves combatting pests and diseases with their natural counterparts or capturing the pests. Some gardeners also cultivate medicinal plants, extract their ingredients and use them to fight against pests. Many gardeners have their own production facilities for biological pest control on the farm, complementing their homemade products with purchases from specialized businesses. This approach makes a lot of sense, as plants treated in this way are much more productive and healthier, and have a longer shelf life.

As soon as the flowers are ready to be picked, harvesting starts multiple times a day. The plants are inspected for their quality and health, then hydrated and cooled overnight in the cooling room. This is crucial to allow the flowers to slowly enter a dormant state, which protects them from wilting. The next day, they are carefully sorted and bundled according to quality grades in the packing hall. For agrotropic, the flowers are systematically packed in CargoLite boxes. Due to their smart design, these boxes are more robust and lightweight, allowing the flowers to be packed more densely. This is more sustainable because it reduces the amount of cardboard used, and more stems can be packed per box. The flowers packed in this way embark on their journey on the same day.

From the farms, the flowers travel in air-conditioned trucks to the air or sea port, where our freight specialists receive and load them. In the belly of an airplane or ship, they then travel in a temperature-controlled environment within a day or over several weeks to Europe.

Transport by sea is gaining increasing importance, as, despite longer transit times, it has a better carbon footprint. agrotropic is evaluating this innovation and carefully analysing its impact on the quality of cut flowers. From the destination port, these are transported by road to us in Oberhasli. For our in-house freight specialists, efficient and direct transportation routes and careful handling is of great importance. We monitor the cold chain with the latest generation of data loggers. These loggers send real-time data through receivers along the supply chain to the cloud. If the set values aren't met, we're alerted before the flowers have even arrived at our facility.

As soon as the flowers have arrived at our facility, we check their temperature and quality. Our logistics partners and farms receive feedback for each shipment, so we can continuously improve our process. 

Next, the boxes are loaded onto our entry carts and wheeled into the cooling room. Handling the boxes on carts in our processing facility minimizes mechanical damage to the delicate flowers and makes it easier for our employees. Instead of lifting heavy boxes, they can focus on preparing the flowers and staying fit and focused. This complements established mechanical aids such as processing machines and filling machines with a digital information system that provides our employees with information along the manufacturing process.

agrotropic serves customers worldwide. In Switzerland, we market flowers from Africa and South America, while customers worldwide enjoy tropical cut greens from Tropiflora in Sri Lanka. We cater to three customer groups: retail (supermarkets), wholesale and international customers.

The specialization of our marketing departments allows us to flexibly respond to the specific needs of different customer groups. At the same time, it enables us to leverage synergies and economies of scale on the procurement side, and to respond quickly and cost-effectively to our customers' short-term requests. Through vertical integration along the supply chain, we can offer tailored solutions for customers in product management, quality assurance, logistics and IT integration.

agrotropic vouches for the quality of the entire value chain and product lifecycle. To start with, we maintain a discerning approach in selecting suitable farms, varieties and logistics partners, all of which we tirelessly verify on-site. This is followed by an uncompromising stance on hygiene, residues, cut flower food, packaging concepts and processing quality.

What drives us is our attention to detail and the refusal to settle for simple solutions, all the while maintaining simplicity. Furthemore, our core values are non-negotiable and we don't sacrifice quality for quick profits.

It is self-evident for us that what we demand from our suppliers we also practise within our own operations. This attitude is reflected in our products and inspires us. Similarly, we have invested in the right processes and an infrastructure and tools that are durable, high-quality and sustainable. This provides our employees with an environment where they can carry out their work conscientiously and with pride (our operating building).