Drew Dixon
A new report shows the “green industry” is generating plenty of green for the Florida economy.
The study from the Farm Credit of Central Florida and Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) defines green industries as organic farming, agricultural nurseries and lawn services, among others.
Per the report, those businesses amounted to a $42 billion economic impact in the Sunshine State in 2023 alone. Green businesses also support an estimated 279,000 jobs for Floridians and account for about $14 billion in labor income, according to the new analysis published this week.
The total economic impact of green industries in Florida has increased by 48% between 2020 and 2023 alone, the report concluded.
And those businesses have been growing in Florida in the past 15 years. Some estimated 30,000 jobs have been added in Florida in just the landscape services area since 2011. That’s a 43% jump in that time period, the Farm Credit report said. In total, the state now supports 27,000 jobs in landscape services.
“This kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident,” said Tal Coley, CEO of the FNGLA. “It’s the result of innovation and a willingness to adapt. Florida’s green industry delivers an impact felt in every corner of our state — connecting communities, supporting jobs and shaping how Florida grows.”
Much of the growth in green industry economic impact is directly related to Florida’s continued spike in population. The state grew by 1.83 million people between the beginning of COVID pandemic lockdowns in 2020 through July of 2024.
“This growth in population has initiated upticks in new housing units (the total includes homes, apartments, townhouses, etc.) and population, driving the need for lawn care. As the total number of people grows in the state thousands of new businesses are created, also requiring well-manicured exteriors,” the six-page report found.
While the landscaping and lawn services sectors have been taking off in Florida, the report found nursery production has also been increasing, but not as dramatically. That sector’s employment numbers are up 43% since 2011, sparking an estimated 8,100 new jobs in Florida.
