Cundinamarca
Colombia's flower heartland producing 71% of cut flowers (84% of export value), making Bogota airport Latin America's top air cargo hub.
A 1967 master's thesis identified the Bogotá Savannah as ideal for growing flowers—high altitude for quality, proximity to El Dorado International Airport for exports. That thesis launched an industry. Today Cundinamarca produces 71% of Colombia's cut flowers, rising to 84% of export value in H1 2025. Over half carry Florverde certification for reduced pesticide use and water efficiency. Flowers have made Bogotá's airport Latin America's leading air cargo hub.
Colombia is now the world's second-largest cut flower exporter after the Netherlands. The industry generates 200,000 rural jobs; exports reached $1.4 billion in H1 2025, up 10% from the previous year. Roses account for 33% of production—long-stemmed varieties that altitude-optimized cultivation yields for North American mass retailers. The United States absorbs 80% of export value; Colombia holds 60% of U.S. flower imports.
Cundinamarca's savannah surrounds but does not include Bogotá itself, which operates as its own capital district. The department's fate is intertwined with the capital's: flower farms employ the peri-urban workforce, export revenues flow through metropolitan banks. By 2026, the department will test whether sustainability certifications and new Asian markets can offset any U.S. demand fluctuations—or whether this altitude-dependent industry remains vulnerable to climate disruption.