Women on the Farm: Growth and Opportunity in an Evolving Industry at Alexandra Farms

For more than 60 years, the flower industry in Bogotá, Colombia, has empowered women to be independent, self-sufficient leaders in their communities and their homes. Before the 1960s, it was nearly unheard of that women could work anywhere other than at home, taking care of children and family, until agriculturalists realized the prime growing opportunities of the savannah's temperate climate. This development would forever change the lives of the local women and their communities.

"When flower farms came around, women suddenly became the owners of their destiny," says Alexandra Farms President Jose Azout. His company, which sits atop the fertile soil surrounded by the Andes Mountains in Bogotá, is the largest garden rose grower in the world and proudly embraces the inclusion of women in all facets of the business. 

A New Age of Agriculture

Before the production and exportation of fresh-cut flowers in Bogotá, the savanna was already rich agriculturally in crops like potatoes and grasses for grazing dairy cattle. Men held the role of moneymaker, managing these farms and ultimately leaving women at home to tend to the children and household themselves.

"Men would leave work on Fridays with their paycheck and go to the bar, drink all afternoon and evening, leave the bottles on the tables, go home and sleep. And the wives had no options," Azout explains, noting men didn't always treat their wives kindly when they returned home.

Economically, the small towns throughout the savanna in Bogotá were made up of a handful of what were considered necessities, clearly focused toward male-dominated communities. According to Azout, nothing more than bars with pool tables, brothels, a bank, a police station, a central plaza, and a mayor's office made up the typical layout in every small farming town—a mirrored image throughout Bogotá. 

Members of the first postharvest team at Alexandra Farms in 2006

Then came the introduction of flower farms, which didn't resonate with men culturally. "They weren't as interested in getting involved in the floral industry; it wasn't 'masculine' enough, and they were already employed," Azout says. This was beneficial for women who were unemployed, impoverished, and unable to pursue any kind of ownership previously. And it benefited the flower farms that needed a workforce for a quickly evolving industry. 

Introducing women into the workforce was a turning point socially and economically. Cookie-cutter, simplistic towns flourished with new businesses shaped by women: shops catering to women, beauty, children, and cuisine began peppering the towns, Azout says. "When flower farms came around and women started getting a paycheck, the women were empowered and became owners of their destiny."

A typical Colombian dance performed at the farm in 2024

A Membership

Today, at Alexandra Farms, 55 percent of the 400+ employees are women, and approximately half of those women are heads of household, many with children to support. While most of them work on the farms as general staff, 18 women hold executive positions, highlighting the importance of providing opportunities on every level of the business.

The Alexandra Farms sales team is entirely female; four of the five team members are seen here.

Unlike generations before them, women in the past few decades not only have the freedom to hold jobs and make a living, but they also have a chance to grow in their careers. At Alexandra Farms, staff members are encouraged to pursue further education to perform their duties, fully funded by the company. "We've financed two or three executives to help them learn English and a few agronomists and supervisors to learn more about their fields," Azout says.

And outside of their careers and roles at the farm? Azout says it's just as important to ensure his workers have support in every aspect of their well-being and their families. That's why the company also employs an in-house psychologist and social worker, provides frequent opportunities to meet with doctors and dentists at the farm, subsidizes 50% of lunches to support healthy eating, and provides educational training for personal growth and family counseling, among other benefits. 

But the company's assistance doesn't stop at the workplace.

Alexandra Farms Human Resources Director Emilsen Cubillos says her department will meet with employees at their homes periodically to guide housekeeping, cleanliness, and general home maintenance. The company provides numerous avenues for employees to reach out for help, but community outreach is another opportunity for employees to ask for help or request resources.

The proactive company action and open communication with employees have proven to make life simpler for the women on the farm and create a pay-it-forward effect on the others around them. "We've helped our employees deal with anger management, relationships, and family matters," Azout says. "We certainly helped the community because by helping them, we've helped others. It's a multiplying effect."

A woman works in the greenhouses at Alexandra Farms

Being a valued part of a fast-moving industry provides comfort and stability to women who depend on the support of their employers to provide for their families, and the benefits are just extra incentives to being a part of the team.

Women working in the postharvest area at Alexandra Farms

"Our motivation is the welfare of our people and to benefit our people," Azout says, "along with profitability, of course. It makes business sense to have happy and healthy employees. If we decide to plant another hectare and we find it to be only marginally profitable, it doesn't matter – we're employing more people and bringing wealth into the world."

Evolving Industry

As the years roll by in Colombia's evolving fresh floral industry, farms have made great strides in affecting global change economically, environmentally, and socially. The foundation and growth of this one industry alone have changed the blueprint for women and their entire communities throughout Bogotá and Medellín (the second-largest flower-producing area in Colombia), and they have changed the dynamic forever.

Alexandra Farms takes great care to ensure the women on the farms are respected, appreciated, and equipped to grow in their personal and professional pursuits. The women working on the farms are dedicated and passionate about being a part of the company and place their appreciation into the garden roses that fuel creativity and joy across the globe. 

It's the opportunity female ancestors dreamed of: the freedom to shape the world and create a life made just for her.

This arrangement was designed by a postharvest worker who learned by watching visiting floral designers.