Moving forward together: clear and transparent about sustainability in the floriculture chain

For Royal FloraHolland (RFH), one thing remains paramount: to unambiguously and transparently demonstrate how flowers and plants are cultivated by growers based on sustainability. The RFH route remains 100% certified according to FSI requirements aimed at transparency and assurance in the supply chain. This is in line with the strategy of the FSI-Versnellersgroep, a group of large trading companies that has stated in recent years that it is working toward 100% FSI-certified procurement by 2027. For members and non-members who, despite previous concessions from RFH, are unwilling or unable to go along this route, RFH offers additional support and an alternative interim solution with adjusted levies and controls. RFH also uses filtering methods to facilitate transactions for trading parties in state-owned trading companies, enabling them to make certified purchases from RFH in accordance with FSI requirements through both the auction channel and direct channels, using filtering methods on Floriday. This will enable them to continue fulfilling their role as they work toward 100% certified purchasing. In addition, the enforcement schedule applies to both members and non-members in line with the timelines communicated previously. 

RFH takes the following steps: 

• Customised support for growers: in addition to existing support and adjustments, RFH offers additional support to growers for their GAP and Environmental certification.
• Trading parties facilitated to purchase fully certified: trading parties can now buy 100% certified according to FSI requirements, both on the clock and in Floriday. They can easily select certified growers themselves in Floriday according to FSI requirements, and the FSI logo is clearly visible on the clock. As a result, trading businesses who wish to do so can now buy fully certified according to FSI requirements.
• Alternative solution with transparency and process assurance:
  • Non-certified users can continue to trade through RFH: this group is subject to adjusted levies and (additional) controls, such as additional residue measurements.
  • EU Organic /Skal certificates: RFH wants to encourage organic cultivation with these certificates and will therefore accept growers with EU Organic/Skal certificates or growers transitioning to them for the time being, until these certificates are eventually integrated into the FSI system.   

Why these steps?

Consumers, media and governments increasingly value the responsible cultivation of flowers and plants. RFH understands and supports this development. Therefore, RFH asks its growers to be transparent through certification according to FSI requirements (Basket of Standards). FSI is an international market-driven initiative, ensuring supply chain clarity, transparency on sustainability, process assurance through the FSI Basket of Standards through Environmental, Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Social as well as providing collective facts and figures to protect our sector reputation. At the same time, RFH is a cooperative of growers, in which moving forward together is important. Therefore, we offer additional support, in addition to the existing support and adjustments, and an alternative interim solution with adjusted levies and controls. With this, RFH secures transparency on the use of crop protection products for non-certified users. 

Timelines and levies 

• Certification timeline 1 January 2026: all non-members and all members with Direct Flex, Direct Focus and Auction Flex member packages are certified as per FSI requirements. Growers with a total business turnover < €250,000 from floriculture products can use the small-scale grower scheme.
• Stricter enforcement for non-members and members in these 3 member packs, with levies aimed at encouraging members and non-members towards certification according to the requirements of FSI. 
   
• The following levies will take effect from 1 July 2026:
  • As of 1 July 2026, a monthly levy of 0.1% per missing certificate on the monthly turnover will commence.
  • As of 1 October 2026, this levy will be doubled to 0.2% per missing certificate.
  • As of 1 January 2027, a levy of 0.5% per missing certificate with a minimum of €500 per certificate per year will apply and there will be (additional) controls such as additional residue measurements.
  • A social certificate is already in place for so-called “risk countries”; for “non-risk” countries, the same approach will be followed by RFH when the social certificate becomes applicable. 

• Auction Focus: certification timeline 1 July 2027: all members with Auction Focus member pack are 100% certified,with levies aimed at encouraging members and non-members towards certification. Enforcement from then on proceeds as follows:
  • As of 1 October 2027, a monthly levy of 0.1% per missing certificate on the monthly turnover will commence.
  • As of 1 January 2028, this levy will be doubled to 0.2% for each missing certificate.
  • As of 1 April 2028, a levy of 0.5% per missing certificate with a minimum of €500 per certificate per year will apply and there will be (additional) controls such as additional residue measurements.
  • A social certificate is already in place for so-called “risk countries”; for “non-risk” countries, the same approach will be followed by RFH when the social certificate becomes applicable. 

The certification policy also applies to Plantion guest members. 

Non-growing suppliers: RFH wants to move towards fully certified supply according to FSI requirements. However, RFH suppliers include those who do not grow their own, but supply products produced by others (or are non-livestock products). To ensure that all products traded on our platform come from certified businesses (FSI Basket of Standards), we ask non-cultivating suppliers who trade live products (flowers, plants) on the RFH platform to obtain a certificate by 1 July 2027 to be able to trace the origin of products (non-cultivating supplier certification). In the floriculture sector, there are now two possible traceability certificates for this: Florimark TraceCert from MPS, GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody (CoC).  

Our certification policy will be laid down in the updated Sustainability Regulations (Late March 2026), which are part of RFH's Auction Regulations and thus apply to all members, guest members and RFH suppliers.

Customised support for growers on their way to FSI  

• Simplified process thanks to additional auxiliary documents: growers with a turnover threshold above €250,000 will now — like small-scale growers — also receive customised support in obtaining certificates in general, but especially the GAP certificate. RFH has thus invested in a tool with the right wording and situations to support growers in preparing for the GAP audit/certification. With this certificate, preparation becomes clearer and can be accelerated, for example by making a simple online tool and sample materials available.  This online tool and sample materials will be available soon. There will also be additional sessions on certification to growers for their GAP and Environmental certification.
• Accelerating KKS applications: Small-scale Grower Scheme (KKS) candidates are actively encouraged and referred to MPS and Agraya so that they can actually start obtaining their certification.  

Trading parties facilitated to buy fully certified 

• All trading businesses can from now on purchase fully certified thanks to direct insight into growers certified according to FSI requirements: via Floriday, they can set their own filter to make only this group visible to their buyers. The clock also clearly shows whether growers are certified according to FSI requirements. As a result, trading businesses who wish to do so can now buy fully certified according to FSI requirements and contribute to greater transparency throughout the supply chain. 
• Smart collaboration on timing and planning with the FSI-Versnellersgroep: This group of major retail companies and RFH are collaborating more effectively by better coordinating the timing and planning of grower certification. 

Alternative solution and controls 

Although they are not (fully) certified, suppliers do offer transparency and assurance regarding some of their processes. RFH offers this group additional support and an alternative interim solution with adjusted levies and additional controls.  

• Adjusted levies for non-(fully)-certified users: these levies are used to cover the additional costs of organisation and additional controls in the form of residue monitoring, additional administrative work, risk management, required support, hiring independent expertise, additional communication capacity and reputation management.
• Additional controls in the form of residue monitoring:
  • For all suppliers, certified and non-certified, RFH has random residue measurements and monitoring carried out for the sake of sector reputation and gaining a better and broader understanding of crop protection product use.
  • For those suppliers who are not (fully) certified to FSI requirements, an additional, more intensive compliance check applies: part of this is unannounced residue measurements to ensure transparency on key risks regarding correct crop protection product use.
• EU Organic /Skal certificates: RFH wants to encourage organic cultivation with these certificates and will therefore accept growers with EU Organic/Skal certificates or growers transitioning to them for the time being, until these certificates are eventually integrated into the FSI system. We are also exploring the needs of organic growers for better support in trade channels.
• Collaboration with trade for transparency and assurance:  RFH and the FSI-Versnellersgroep are going to align and collaborate even more closely aimed at transparency and assurance from residue measurements and compliance checks. The goal is to provide unambiguous information and create more synergy, thereby reducing costs in the supply chain.