Kroger will now be accepting Florverde Sustainable Flowers certification in lieu of the Kroger Social Compliance Audit for its floral suppliers. The news was shared by Sofia B. Castillo, Social Compliance Manager of Kroger.
"Kroger is committed to upholding our Vendor Code of Conduct in our supply chain by partnering with suppliers whose operations meet or exceed our expectations and standards. To ensure our Vendor Code of Conduct is upheld, Kroger works with third party auditing firms UL and ELEVATE to conduct our Social Compliance Audits", explained Castillo.
She went on to comment, "We also understand the burden that suppliers bear due to many audits for various requirements from multiple retailers, which is why we regularly review standards and certifications available from outside organizations in the social compliance field as possible alternatives".
Florverde passed a careful review and analysis, demonstrating itself to be "at par with Kroger Social Compliance audit and the corrective action procedure often needed after the audit", according to the written notification.
Ximena Franco, director of Florverde Sustainable Flowers, comments “We are pleased to be able to support Florverde certified flower companies that supply the Kroger supermarket chain. This achievement represents significant savings in time, effort and money for these suppliers. Through the Florverde Sustainable Flowers certification scheme, a company directly demonstrates to Kroger its compliance with their Code of Conduct without the need for additional audits".
For more information:
Florverde
www.florverde.org