Dutch horticulture has a worldwide reputation for its varieties, production technology and international trade. The sector is often at the forefront of investing in new production area's, with a trend to shorten supply chains, while increasng attention is needed to comply with environmental and social responsibility issues.

Yet, public debate is not always impartial, which leads to one-dimensional opinions for or against flower and vegetable imports. 

A recent independent study of the University of Cranfield (Williams, 2007)* concluded that Dutch CO₂ emissions for rose production were about 6 times larger than for the same amount of roses produced in Kenya, taking into account air transportation. In addition, the annual yield of marketable stems were almost 70% higher in Kenya when compared with the Dutch.