Growing responsibility: certification by the Kenya Flower Council

Although the Netherlands is the historic center of flower cultivation, production for the European market has largely shifted to Africa, particularly to Kenya and Ethiopia. Because of the perishability of flowers, their rapid and temperature-controlled transit, careful distribution and timely sale is critical and requires tight buyer-supplier coordination, while maintaining the highest quality standards. In Kenya, the Kenya Flower Council checks these high standards, especially in terms of social accountability and environmental impact.

Flowers are an increasingly important business for the Netherlands. The Dutch export of flowers and plants had a record value of 5,7 billion euros in 2016 – a increase of 3% in comparison to 2015. Approximately 300 to 400 tonnes of flowers are exported every day out of Kenya, of which about 65% go to the Netherlands. The Kenya Flower Council members account for 80% of all the flower volumes exported. The floriculture industry employs over 100 000 people directly and over 500 000 indirectly: the flower growers and exporters therefore have a great social responsibility for their workers.

The Kenya Flower Council
The Kenya Flower Council (KFC) is a voluntary association of growers and exporters of flowers in Kenya. The main object of the KFC is fostering responsible and safe production of cut flowers in Kenya, with a strong focus on the welfare of workers in the sector and environmental-friendly production.

KFC administers compliance through the internationally accredited KFC Code of Practice (CoP) on good agricultural practice, sustainability, social accountability, hygiene health and safety, capacity building, environmental protection and conservation.

The certification process
There are two key industry standards in Kenya that guide the production of flowers in Kenya: the Kenya Standard 1758, which is mandatory to all flower growers in Kenya, and the Kenya Flower Council Code of Practice, a private standard which is adhered to by all members of the Kenya Flower Council. Both contain comprehensive chapters on responsible production of flowers. There are also other private standards, such as MPS, Fair Trade, BOPP and BCCI.

To be certified by the Kenya Flower Council a company has to be a member of the Council. Thereafter the company is subjected to a preliminary audit by the Council’s auditors. They are given a time span of one year to comply with the requirements of the standard. After a year, a compliance audit is administered to the company, which issues a certificate upon satisfactorily meeting the requirements. In the case of non-compliance, companies are required to undertake corrective actions or are placed under sanctions depending on the nature of non-compliance.

The Kenya Flower Council certification scheme draws its authenticity and transparency through accreditation by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS). It also collaborates with the Kenya Bureau of Standards to maintain and implement the industry standards.

The Flower Sustainability Initiative: 90% sustainably produced flowers by 2020
In addition to its national activities, KFC is a member of 25 international organizations in the floriculture sector who have united to focus on an inclusive governance model with representation from the entire supply chain (production, wholesail, retail) as well as civil society organizations, through the Flower Sustainability Initiative (FSI).

The mandate of FSI is to work with quality scheme owners (standards), to mainstream sustainability in the floriculture sector at the international level based on an inclusive governance model with representation from all identified key supply chain groups.

FSI unites scheme owners in the floriculture industry with the ambition of having 90% of their flowers and pot plants sustainably produced (and traded) by 2020.

To achieve this, FSI has developed a tool that the sector will use to measure what percentage of the flowers they trade in are from responsible sources. The FSI Equivalency tool is designed to quickly review and compare standards. Using this tool, FSI has established a “FSI Basket” of standards used for good sustainability practices in the floriculture sector which are benchmarked against the Global Social Compliance Program (GSCP) and GlobalG.A.P. The main standards used for good sustainability practices in the floriculture sector are already part of the “FSI basket of responsible sources”, and have started or are already finished their benchmarking process against Global Social Compliance Program for Social requirements, and GlobalG.A.P. for environmental requirements.

Through the outcome of GSCP and GlobalG.A.P. benchmarking processes and the use of the FSI online portal, the market and producers are able to have an objective comparison of standards.

The KFC quality standards are generally stricter in comparison with other major floriculture standards on the FSI online portal, especially when it comes to environmental and social impact (see attachment below). Of the two pillars of GSCP benchmarking (social and environmental impact), the KFC Standard is already benchmarked to GlobalG.A.P. since 2008. The final of benchmarking to the GSCP social requirements pillar was achieved very recently, in the fourth quarter of 2016.

For more information about growing and exporting flowers in Kenya, or the certification by KFC, contact NAI-LNV@minbuza.nl.

Source: Agroberichten Buitenland