Site: Flower Valley, South Africa
Type of Partnership: joint business venture
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Description: South Africa’s Cape Floral Kingdom is the world’s most botanically rich habitat and nearly 70 percent of the plant species there are found nowhere else on Earth. It is home to the heath-like fynbos vegetation type, the global record holder for floral diversity. However, the flowers of the fynbos are at great risk from agricultural (e.g. vineyards), urban development and other threats. Between 1999 and 2002, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) purchased 1,338 ha of globally important fynbos land (and the associated flower harvesting operation – Flower Valley Farm) that would have otherwise been developed as vineyards. The Flower Valley Conservation Trust (FVCT) was then established to promote by FFI to take on ownership and assess opportunities to link conservation and local economic development through the sustainable use of natural resources.

Starting in 2002 FFI engaged Shell South Africa and Shell to work with FVCT to develop a business model that utilised Shell’s retail stations in South Africa and the UK for flower sales. Shell Foundation also contributed US$240,000 to enable FVCT to hire an Executive Director and purchase farm equipment. In 2003, a new commercial entity, Fynsa, was created to manage the commercial operations and sold to investors, leaving FVCT to focus on non-profit activities. The Shell Foundation then assisted Fynsa to develop an innovative partnership with Marks & Spencer (M&S) – as part of the Shell Foundation’s Sustainable Communities Programme – to facilitate access to a much larger retail market. The Foundation has also funded some 20 neighbouring farms to meet international labor standards and supply Fynsa with flowers for M&S, thereby helping to ensure the continued use and protection of the natural flora versus conversion to other agricultural uses.

Management plans are based on available field data, with harvesting rates and patterns dictated by scientific criteria. Surplus income is re-invested in alien species clearance, the purchase of harvested wild flowers from local landowners and farmers, the development of marketing plans, support for micro-enterprise activities based on fynbos products and the creation of an Early Learning Centre and adult education facilities. South African National Parks (SANP) is using the Flower Valley project as a model to support fynbos conservation through the establishment and development of the Greater Agulhas National Park. FFI is building collaborative links with local, national and international agencies (including the Botanical Society, Kirstenbosch, the Institute for Plant Conservation and WWF) and has already formed partnerships with SANP, Cape Nature Conservation and Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.