Since last August, Léontine Crisson has been the new Agricultural Counsellor for Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. These are currently not the easiest countries to work in: Ecuador was literally burning due to protests by its indigenous population, and Colombia is facing a leftist presidency. “Entrepreneurs are uncertain and are postponing their investments”, says Crisson.
She likes it very much in Colombia, says Crisson at the Floriade in Almere, where Dutch Agricultural Counsellors from all over the world gathered on 22 June for a network meeting. “I live in Bogotá. Colombia is a very diverse country. There are many different cultures, and I get to deal with many different sectors.” Crisson is not only responsible for Colombia, she is also the Agricultural Counsellor for Ecuador and Peru. In Ecuador, the evening before 22 June was once again marked by unrest.
Crisson has no previous experience with ornamental cultivation. Yet, this sector is not entirely unfamiliar to her. In her previous job as Agricultural Counsellor for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, she was involved with the flower-bulb sector in Chile. And even earlier in her working life – as a member of LNV’s market-access team for vegetable products – she was active in East and Sub-Saharan Africa, where she dealt with parent material for roses. She was not so much concerned, however, with the market for cut flowers and how important they are for the East African countries.