NEW FLOWER SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

The 25 international partners of the new Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI), which was launched in January at the 2013 IPM trade fair in Essen, Germany, have committed to sustainably produce 90 percent of their internationally traded cut flower and pot plant crops by 2020. This is a sectorwide initiative, targeting the entire supply chain.

This initiative marks the beginning of an international cooperation, with the goals of defining, aligning and mainstreaming sustainability in the floricultural sector.

The FSI will:
• introduce an innovative benchmarking system to give the sector transparency and comparability of standards
• create a clear sustainability agenda drafted by and for the sector
• take joint action on current and future sustainability challenges, such as water use, working conditions and use of pesticides

The FSI was developed and is supported by the following organizations:
• Ahold NV
• ANCEF (Italian association of flower exporters)
• BGI (German Confederation of flower wholesalers and importers)
• BothEnds
• BRO - Blomsterbranchens Riksorganisation (Swedish traders organization)
• Ciccolella (flower grower and exporter in the Netherlands and Italy)
• Dutch Flower Group
• Dutch Horticulture Board
• Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA)
• Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP)
• Max Havelaar/Fairtrade
• Fleura Metz
• FloraHolland
• Hivos International
• IDH - The Sustainable Trade Initiative
• International Florist Organization (FLORINT)
• LTO Noord
• Milieu Programma Sierteelt (MPS)
• Pfitzer BV
• Pflanzen Center Kölle
• UnionFleurs - International Flower Trade Association
• Vereinigung des Schweizerischen Blumengrosshandels (Swiss association of flower wholesalers and importers)
• VGB - Dutch Association of Wholesale Trade in Horticultural Products
• WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) Kenya