Mandatory certification: what does this mean for growers?

On March 12, a milestone was reached on the road to 100% certified sustainable floriculture. The launch of a certification scheme for small-scale growers by the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) and clear sustainability regulations from Royal FloraHolland (RFH) for certification are the final steps on the road to 100% FSI compliance for all growers. But what does this mean in concrete terms? Three growers share their vision.

Royal FloraHolland wants all affiliated members and suppliers to be FSI-compliant by July 1, 2027 at the latest. The certification consists of three pillars: GAP (Good Agricultural Practice), Environment and Social. Growers can obtain a certificate in each pillar. The social module is available with an eye to the future, but has not yet been audited. “Certification is crucial to provide insight and transparency in the area of sustainability. Consumers are increasingly demanding proof that flowers and plants are produced in a responsible manner,” said Pieter Bootsma, CEO of Royal FloraHolland, in a previous news report.

From a narrow to a broad majority

A broad majority of growers recognize the necessity of this, says Marcel van der Lugt (Lugt Eustoma). He has been chairman of the RFH Members' Council since January 1, 2025. “Five years ago, there was a narrow majority in favor of mandatory environmental registration and certification,” Marcel explains. “Support within the Members' Council and among RFH members has grown considerably. A large majority of growers recognize that we as a sector must become more sustainable. The FSI-Compliant certification, the decision made by the RFH executive board, is now widely supported throughout the entire supply chain, from growers to buyers. Making our sector more sustainable requires more than just certification. The certification system may not be ideal for everyone, but you have to start somewhere. As a cooperative, we strive for a level playing field.

Benchmark

Marcel believes it is good to start working on certification now. “We can now set a benchmark and continue working towards our sustainability goals from there. This will show the government that we have taken the initiative ourselves. If we do not do this now, the government may introduce even stricter regulations later, over which we will have less influence. Consumers can expect us to be able to demonstrate that we do business responsibly. Many other sectors are already working with certification.”

Agreeing to the rules of the game

Obtaining the certificates requires a great deal of financial and practical effort. Herman de Jong has already noticed this. He is the owner of the De Jong Flowers lily farm in De Kwakel. “To be FSI-compliant, we had to modify a number of business processes. In addition, you have to describe all your processes in detail and demonstrate all the things you do. That takes an incredible amount of time. It helps that we already have our MPS-ABC certificate. Large companies often have people to do this work. It is more difficult for a medium-sized company like ours. But we will have to do it because we want to be part of this. Besides, I see it this way: we are a cooperative that agrees on the rules together. If the majority agrees, we will play by those rules and work together for a bright future for our sector.”

Pursuing goals together

Marcel recognizes that achieving certification has an impact. “I see that in my own company too. The Royal FloraHolland executive board and supervisory board are also aware of this. The members' council has taken steps together with them in recent months. There is understanding for the impact this has on growers and especially on small and medium-sized companies. The executive board and supervisory board also understand the questions and challenges for the growers. They have adopted advice from the members' council and members. We really must strive for sustainable floriculture together.”

Help for small-scale growers

One of the steps that has been taken is the small-scale grower scheme for growers with a total annual turnover of less than €250,000 from floriculture products. Thanks to this scheme, they can meet the FSI requirements with less administrative burden and at lower costs. Entrepreneurs who want to stop within two years will also receive dispensation. Another agreement that has been made concerns visibility. On Floriday and on the RFH clocks, the FSI certificates are displayed for each grower, as well as whether a grower is FSI-compliant. Previously, it was explicitly stated when a grower was not certified. Now a more positive approach has been chosen.

Keeping everyone in the club

These are good developments, says Herman de Jong. “At the start of this project, the impact on small and medium-sized growers in particular may have been underestimated by Royal FloraHolland. Also, not all growers have experienced the communication as pleasant. We got the idea that the FSI-Compliant certification was mainly imposed on us. With these new agreements, the executive board has shown progressive insight. That is important, because we want to keep everyone in the club. From large to small. Maximum effort is now being put into this, and that is great. In this way, we can make our sector even more sustainable together.

Financial impact

The agreements made are also important to Jan van Paridon (De Kokmeeuw nursery). He is just above the small-scale grower limit and is following the agreements regarding FSI-Compliant certification with a critical eye. “I am 62, but I don't want to stop yet. I had my reservations, but I have decided to go along with this method. I can't do it all myself, so I have to hire people for it. I also have other costs associated with being FSI-compliant. All in all, it quickly adds up to 1% of your product revenues. I think that's quite a lot, even for starting entrepreneurs. I wouldn't mind financial compensation for smaller growers, perhaps helped by larger growers. Otherwise, some growers might not make it or they might have to stop early.”

Extra support

Nevertheless, Jan understands the importance of FSI-Compliant certification. “As a sector, we want to demonstrate what we stand for. Consumers measure that, among other things, in terms of certificates. If that means I have to make a flight plan and describe which crop protection products I use, then so be it. It's a hassle, but for a good cause. So I'll just go along with it.” Royal FloraHolland is also currently working on possibilities for extra support for growers who, like Jan, are just over the limit, to help them with the specific challenges they face.