The number of buyers on the clock who want to purchase based on certifying criteria for sustainability from the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) continues to increase. Since 16 October 2020, Royal FloraHolland displays on the auction clock whether a grower is certified to the minimum FSI standards. By doing this, Royal FloraHolland has met an express request from the market.
By showing the FSI logo on the clock, it is now immediately clear if a grower, depending on the producer country, has the mandatory certificates to satisfy the FSI criteria. You can also select these growers from the supply in advance. That way, it becomes much easier to purchase sustainably in the Royal FloraHolland marketplace. Before, the buyer had to deduce the information from the various certificates on the clock front. Floricode records the certificates per grower and subsequently deduces if a grower satisfies the minimum FSI criteria. Floricode gathers and standardises the data from all certifiers for the relevant environmental and social certificates for FSI and provides Royal FloraHolland with validated and up-to-date certificate information. This ensures that the information that is distributed in the chain is reliable.
Purchasing based on FSI criteria
Many large buyers in the marketplace are, just like Royal FloraHolland, members of FSI and are committed to buying based on FSI criteria. Whether a grower satisfies the FSI criteria depends on his certificates and the producing country. The certificates that are satisfactory have been successfully benchmarked against international environmental and social criteria and legislation.
The members of FSI are working to make the production and trade in flowers and plants increasingly sustainable. The joint ambition is that 90% of all flowers and plants traded is produced sustainably by the end of 2020. Jeroen Oudheusden, Executive Officer FSI: "Retail and consumer demand for sustainably produced flowers and plants is also increasing significantly. I expect this to be an incentive for growers both in and outside the Netherlands to acquire the certificates to satisfy the FSI criteria."
Showing the FSI logo is a good step
Marcel Zandvliet, Chief Marketing Officer/Chief Sustainability Officer of Dutch Flower Group: "Showing the FSI logo on lots from growers who satisfy the FSI criteria is a great step forward. It simplifies our sustainable purchasing through the auction systems. I also hope it will be an incentive for growers to acquire the right certification according to FSI criteria. I also speak for the Acceleration Initiative within FSI in this respect. If we keep working together within the chain, we will reach our joint sustainability ambitions much sooner." The Acceleration Initiative comprises the Dutch Flower Group and the trade companies FleuraMetz, Royal Lemkes, Waterdrinker and Royal FloraHolland.
Sustainable production and products are becoming the norm
Maarten Bánki, Manager Sustainable Development Royal FloraHolland: "Sustainable production and products are becoming the norm. To be successful in the long term, we strive for sustainability in the industry. We also encourage growers to make their sustainable efforts reliable and transparent by acquiring a certificate. We are now asking growers who are not in possession of any certificates to make a start on digital environmental registration and certification. Ultimately, we aim to ensure that all growers comply with the FSI sustainability standards and, as such, also with regards to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and socially. On the other hand, we are asking traders to purchase certified sustainable products. We are making this easier by showing FSI on the clock. Only in this way can we jointly protect the reputation of our products, our sector and our common marketplace."
Source: Royal FloraHolland