Market access to Western European markets for developing countries is a key issue in the 2004-2007 policy programme ‘Vital and Together’ of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The Netherlands helps developing countries to improve their market performance by means of public-private partnerships, capacity building and the provision of access to Western markets. The aim is to stimulate sustainable agricultural development and to decrease poverty in developing countries. This report describes theoretical approaches to ensure the sustainable development of floriculture in developing countries. Market growth and competitive advantage are used as indicators for sustainability. The report also provides an overview of floriculture worldwide. Large importing countries as well as the main exporting countries are reviewed. Next the report tests the empirical findings against the theoretical approaches. The conclusion is directed to the usefulness of the theoretical approaches for analysing the sustainable development of the floriculture industry in developing countries. The impact on poverty reduction and the issue of capacity building are not within the scope of this study.
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