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The $16billion (£8.8bn) flower industry in the US began to develop a domestic sustainability standard last month with the introduction of the country's first eco-label for floral products.
The labelling scheme, known as Veriflora, was produced by Scientific Certification Systems, a for-profit environmental standards specialist in California.
The sustainable agriculture scheme borrows from existing floral standards, notably those run by the Flower Label Program, Max Havelaar and Florverde. To qualify for Veriflora, companies must meet detailed criteria on pesticide use, conservation, social responsibility, water use, waste and product quality.
'Other floral standards reward good intentions, but in many cases the certification or monitoring is lacking,' said SCS spokesperson Jeff Stephens. 'Many only require companies to minimize pesticide use "wherever possible", but Veriflora aims to close these types of loopholes.'
Among specific social responsibility issues addressed are payment of fair wages, under-age working and union representation. About two-thirds of the flowers sold in the US are imported, mostly from South and Central America, where growers' employment practices remain a concern. 'Another important aspect of the standard is its "chain of custody" requirement,' said Stephens. 'We're requiring local growers and producers, importers, retailers and wholesalers to be in compliance.'
To date four producers have qualified for the new standard - two in California (Sun Valley Group and Kendall Farms) and two in Ecuador (Nevado Roses and LatinFlor). Twelve other companies are being audited, including Delaware Valley, the largest wholesaler in the US.
The annual compliance process, undertaken exclusively by SCS, requires applicants to take corrective action before receiving certification. They are then subject to unannounced site inspections. SCS expects to use local assessors in South and Central America. The California-based organic certifier, Quality Assurance International, is likely to be the first additional certifier accredited.
Floral products will be sold under the Veriflora label from this month. With a view to making Veriflora an official US industry standard, NSF International, a standards writing body accredited by the American National Standards Institute, will form a cross-sector panel to assess the methodology. Gaining Ansi's approval is likely to take at least a year.
In Europe, work on a flower sector social labelling scheme began last year (EP6, issue 2, p4).
German and Dutch retailers have set up a joint initiative to improve workplace practices among their suppliers using the SA8000 standard. The three-year 'Sector Model Social Responsibility' programme will focus on suppliers of textiles, sports apparel, shoes and toys in 15 developing countries. Members of the German retail sector body AVE and its Dutch counterpart VGT will employ independent auditors to track suppliers against AVE's code of conduct, which is based on SA8000.
The labelling scheme, known as Veriflora, was produced by Scientific Certification Systems, a for-profit environmental standards specialist in California.
The sustainable agriculture scheme borrows from existing floral standards, notably those run by the Flower Label Program, Max Havelaar and Florverde. To qualify for Veriflora, companies must meet detailed criteria on pesticide use, conservation, social responsibility, water use, waste and product quality.
'Other floral standards reward good intentions, but in many cases the certification or monitoring is lacking,' said SCS spokesperson Jeff Stephens. 'Many only require companies to minimize pesticide use "wherever possible", but Veriflora aims to close these types of loopholes.'
Among specific social responsibility issues addressed are payment of fair wages, under-age working and union representation. About two-thirds of the flowers sold in the US are imported, mostly from South and Central America, where growers' employment practices remain a concern. 'Another important aspect of the standard is its "chain of custody" requirement,' said Stephens. 'We're requiring local growers and producers, importers, retailers and wholesalers to be in compliance.'
To date four producers have qualified for the new standard - two in California (Sun Valley Group and Kendall Farms) and two in Ecuador (Nevado Roses and LatinFlor). Twelve other companies are being audited, including Delaware Valley, the largest wholesaler in the US.
The annual compliance process, undertaken exclusively by SCS, requires applicants to take corrective action before receiving certification. They are then subject to unannounced site inspections. SCS expects to use local assessors in South and Central America. The California-based organic certifier, Quality Assurance International, is likely to be the first additional certifier accredited.
Floral products will be sold under the Veriflora label from this month. With a view to making Veriflora an official US industry standard, NSF International, a standards writing body accredited by the American National Standards Institute, will form a cross-sector panel to assess the methodology. Gaining Ansi's approval is likely to take at least a year.
In Europe, work on a flower sector social labelling scheme began last year (EP6, issue 2, p4).
German and Dutch retailers have set up a joint initiative to improve workplace practices among their suppliers using the SA8000 standard. The three-year 'Sector Model Social Responsibility' programme will focus on suppliers of textiles, sports apparel, shoes and toys in 15 developing countries. Members of the German retail sector body AVE and its Dutch counterpart VGT will employ independent auditors to track suppliers against AVE's code of conduct, which is based on SA8000.Super Featured
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