Paolo Arrigo of Seeds of Italy, London-based importer of Franchi Seeds for more than 20 years, has been outspoken on Brexit and has been a pioneer in bringing aid to Ukraine.Here he tells HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby about his views on importing in the post-Brexit and Covid era as well as his mission to the warzone in Ukraine, putting them in the context of his business.Arrigo says although grow your own does well in recessions. sales have dropped back to 5-10% ahead of average after the Covid spike years. Some seeds are harder to get because of Brexit and associated rules, particularly tomatoes and peppers.He also highlights that, in the midst of all these pressures, horticulture must not lose sight of climate change:"As an industry we have a responsibility not only just to get rid of plastic packaging but if we have plastic packaging to reuse that packaging so it's not wasted and doesn't go into landfill. But plants and seeds are a win win win for everyone." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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