The importance of certification

Consumers, the media, opinion makers, influencers and governments are attaching increasing importance to the responsible cultivation of flowers and plants. That is why Royal FloraHolland asks all growers to be transparent about their production processes. We do this through certification based on the three pillars of the FSI Basket of Standards: Environment, GAP and Social.

Sustainability was on the agenda during the last three member sessions. In March 2025, it was decided to make certification mandatory, and this decision has recently been further elaborated with, for example, the small-scale grower scheme and a phasing-out scheme. A large number of members are already certified or are in the process of becoming certified. Many members who are working on it expect to have their certification ready on time.

Below, we briefly address the most frequently asked questions we have received over the past month.

Everything about certification
You can read all about certification on our website Sustainability Certification.

Why certify?
Every day, we work hard with all links in the chain to produce beautiful, high-quality flowers and plants that make people happy. At the same time, there are increasing questions about how sustainably flowers and plants are grown. Retailers, supermarkets, garden centres, online shops and florists are also setting increasingly stringent sustainability requirements, and legislation and regulations are becoming stricter. As a sector, we want and need to demonstrate transparently how our flowers and plants are grown. Only then can future generations continue to enjoy beautiful and sustainably grown flowers and plants.

What is the status of certification?
A large proportion of members and suppliers have already started. More than 75% of Royal FloraHolland's turnover is now certified according to FSI requirements.

What schemes are available?
You can get certified according to the existing regular schemes or via the new small-scale grower scheme. This depends on your company's turnover. You can read more about this on our website How does my company get certified? FSI will check whether you have obtained certain certificates within the pillars. Often, certificates in areas such as Environment or Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) will also meet the FSI requirements.

What is happening in the field of organic cultivation?
Royal FloraHolland wants to encourage organic cultivation (e.g. with an EU Organic/Skal certificate) and sees this method of cultivation as a positive development. Royal FloraHolland has therefore requested that the EU Organic/Skal certificate also be added to the FSI Basket of Standards. As soon as a decision has been made, it will be announced. Growers with an EU Organic/Skal certificate can continue to trade on the RFH platform without restrictions.

Who must be certified by 1 January 2026?

Not everyone needs to be certified by 1 January 2026. Certification will be introduced in stages. There are different deadlines, as this depends on your membership package and whether or not you are making use of the stopper scheme. A complete overview can be found in our sustainability regulations: Sustainability Regulations 2025.

FSI is not a consumerlabel
FSI is not a certificate or label for consumers to show that a product has been produced sustainably. In the past, there were many different certificates available. The Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) has drawn up a benchmark against which various certification schemes in the floriculture sector have been assessed. These certificates are listed in the FSI Basket of Standards. This has resulted in a clear list of certificates that all meet a minimum standard. See also: What is FSI?

Is certification the same as sustainable cultivation?
Certification shows that we are transparent about sustainability. We report on the production of our flowers and plants according to the same standards.

How does Royal FloraHolland help members with certification?
Because we are a cooperative, we do this together. There are still members who find it difficult to start with certification. Royal FloraHolland is happy to help. We offer workshops and sample documents, and small-scale clock focus growers receive financial support when they comply with the guidelines. The workshops are offered at various times in Dutch, English and German. Check the dates in the events calendar.