We work on this in various ways. On the one hand, by encouraging and helping our growers to become certified and, on the other hand, by working with partners on innovations such as the HortiFootprint and by jointly addressing human rights risks and environmental risks in the chain by means of the ICSR Covenant for the Floriculture Sector. This enables us to work together in order to create a trustworthy floriculture marketplace and to protect the reputation of our products, our sector and our collective floriculture marketplace.
Digital environmental registration and certification
Digital environmental registration and environmental certification provide verifiable proof of our efforts in terms of sustainability. Evidence of this type is increasingly being demanded by both the government and consumers. Sustainability is, after all, essential for our future. The future of our growers, our cooperative, our sector and the world. As a cooperative, we want to help our growers achieve sustainability. That's why we encourage our members and help them obtain certification to demonstrate how sustainably they are already working.
Floriculture Sustainability Initiative
For registration and certification purposes, we adhere to the certification criteria (
Basket of Standards) for sustainability from the
Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI). Within this platform, we collaborate with growers, trade, retail and sector organisations, certification institutes and social organisations (NGOs) to create a healthy, vital and sustainable international floriculture sector. The FSI aims to ensure that 90% of all flowers and plants traded and produced by its members are sustainable by 2025.
HortiFootprint
The introduction of a uniform and chain-approved standard for calculating the environmental footprint of horticultural products on a national and international level (HortiFootprint). On 20 July 2020, a consortium of Dutch companies, including Royal FloraHolland, presented the report ‘HortiFootprint Category Rules’ (HFCR). This report contains calculation rules for determining the ecological footprint of horticultural products for both ornamental horticulture and fruit and vegetables. Work is now underway to have these calculation rules recognised at European level (FloriPEF).
ICSR Covenant for the Floriculture Sector
Many of the flowers and plants you find in the shops are purchased and traded all over the world. The complexity of the international value chain requires a collective effort to prevent or limit negative consequences for both people and the planet. That is why we have joined forces with thirteen other parties in the floriculture sector and five ‘supporters' to sign the
ICSR Covenant for the Floriculture Sector. The covenant aims to address human rights and environmental risks in the chain in order to create a more sustainable production and trade of ornamentals. The covenant builds on the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI).
In 2020, we started the process of due diligence in accordance with the international guidelines. We have contributed to the implementation of a joint risk analysis for the sector. We are also participating in the working group on crop protection and are on the steering committee of the covenant.
Plant passport
We set great store in offering transparency about our business operations, and the plant passport is one example of this. Since the end of 2019, all plants, flower bulbs and various seeds traded within the EU, and intended for planting or to remain planted, must be accompanied by a plant passport. This is stipulated in the new EU Plant Health Regulation. The plant passport ensures that the origin and identity of plants and plant material is known. This is important with a view to the prevention of disease and infestation, and swift identification of the source of any such disease or infestation. The plant passport is also proof that plants have been checked by the supplier, which ensures that they do not contain harmful Quarantine Organisms (Q organisms). This way, the plants can be traded freely within the EU without the need for checks at national borders.
All suppliers to our floriculture marketplace are legally required to furnish their plants with a plant passport, without which we cannot auction the plants. The plant passport is physically applied per smallest trade unit, for example at plant level (mandatory from pot size 10), tray or box. The plant passport helps our buyers buy plants from our marketplace with confidence.
Suppliers and buyers can find practical information about the plant passport on this dedicated web page and on external websites of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), NAK Tuinbouw and the Dutch Flower Auctions Association (VBN).
Contact us
Do you have questions? We are happy to help.