Integrated vegetable, flower and fruit tree production Note: This project has been cancelled, because of the many problems encountered (climate, availability of water, bureaucracy).Cabo Verde has a serious shortage of vegetables, fruits and flowers, resulting in high prices and food deficiencies.In restaurants the shortage can be easily recognised by taking a closer look at the menu throughout the year. Only the top end hotel restaurants will invest in more variation of their menu by importing expensive vegetables and fruits from Europe and Brazil. Flowers are being imported from the Netherlands.The local production of vegetables depends on the season, is not always the best quality, does not follow the regulations of hygiene and food safety and cannot satisfy the demand of the market. This provides a good market opportunity for this project to start a company to produce high quality, GlobalGAP certified vegetables and flowers for the hotel and restaurant market on the island of Santiago in order to replace imports.The company will produce year-round in plastic greenhouses on substrate and will use the effluent water, rich in minerals, to irrigate a fruit tree nursery. The joint venture company Floriom will be formed by the Dutch horticultural development company Agriom B.V. and the Cabo Verdean company Flor de Lakakan SA. Flor de Lakakan is already producing and selling ornamental plants, trees and shrubs and doing the landscaping and the maintenance of gardens of Governmental institutions, hotels and restaurants. The company will start working with three outgrowers for the production of some flowers for the bouquet production line. The latter will be extended once the concept has been proven.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)GlobalGAP certification will be obtained and salary and working conditions in the joint venture will be based on the standards of Agriom. The joint venture will make its own CSR policy containing all working conditions and fringe benefits.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe joint venture will employ 11 medium- and high-level employees and twenty basic-level workers. This will increase to 20 and 40 employees respectively in the two years after completion of the project. The company will invest in its employees in order to maintain them by offering education and training opportunities, good salaries and other benefits. Salaries will be 15% higher than the normal wages on Santiago and fringe benefits will be according to its CSR policy.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeThe knowledge transfer on vegetable production according to GlobalGAP principles is new to Cabo Verde, as well as the trainings of employees and outgrowers on flower production. The production of substrate from volcanic sources is also new and will stimulate a new industry.•	Chain effectsThe project will set new standards for quality production of flowers, vegetables and fruit trees. It will have a positive impact on the three flower production outgrowers, giving the example to others. Floriom will actively promote this for small-scale farmers accessible technology of substrate production in small greenhouses. Using locally sourced substrate material may become a new business challenge for Cabo Verde. The project will have a beneficial impact on the macro economy of Cabo Verde by replacing import of these agricultural products.•	EnvironmentThe impact on the environment will be positive. On macro level as the products will be grown in Cabo Verde instead of flown in. The recycling of the waste water for fruit tree fertigation is an innovation leading to more sustainable horticulture, less water use and less ground water pollution. The use of locally sourced substrate from volcanic inert material is favourable in terms of water use and example of saving fertile soil for other purposes. However, with the use of this volcanic material there is also a risk involved in unsustainable extraction. However, in this case the company doing the mining has already obtained the permit from the local environmental authorities. Working with greenhouses reduces the risks of pests and diseases in the crops, decreasing the need for pest management with chemicals. The company will work according to the GlobalGAP principles.•	Position of womenAt least 30% of the employees and of the management staff will be female. Also, the director and owner of Flor de Lakakan is female and would like to stimulate women to play a front runner's role in society. To set up an integrated vegetable, flower and fruit tree production facility using adapted but sustainable modern technology for direct marketing on the Island Santiago of Cape Verde.