Friend of the month - september

In Have your say on September... Kristian Moeller from Germany!

"Sustainability labels and certifications will be the baseline for all flowers and ornamentals sold on the European retail market, and increasingly also for smaller shops"

This month our featured friend is Kristian Moeller, CEO to GLOBALG.A.P. He shared his expertise with sustainability certification labels and its importance to the whole flower industry. His insights about how sustainable labels can help to enhance your business will make you smile!

FSF: Why are certification labels important for the flower industry?

Kristian: Certification of good agricultural practices addressing also environmental and social issues guarantee that the production processes also for flower and ornamental products have been checked for meeting consumer expectations. Certification labels provide the transparency and traceability for floral buyers.

FSF: What are the advantages of label homologations such as Florverde® Sustainable Flowers and GLOBALG.A.P?

Kristian: There are a variety of flower certification labels, and the perception of certification may suffer if the industry does not align in their requirements and set levels of integrity and content that will help the industry as a whole. Alone the fact of collaboration towards more homologation will allow for improvement of the reputation of the industry as a whole, of which every market participant will benefit from.

FSF: What is the future for sustainability labels in Europe?

Kristian: Sustainability labels and certification will be the baseline for all flowers and ornamentals sold on the European retail market, and increasingly also for smaller shops. It may not always be connected to a consumer-facing label, but traceability to assurance systems will be required and implemented.

FSF: Are European supermarkets interested in having certified flowers? Why?

Kristian: Yes, we are seeing a growth in the demand for certified flowers. The FSI benchmarking process will support the strengthening of labels with meaningful certification programs. Thus, retailers gain more trust in certification and see this as a guarantee to mitigate reputational risks in this product category.

FSF: How certification labels can help flower producers to be more competitive?

Kristian: Good certification labels require practices that help producers to be more effective and respond better to market demands. We have seen good progress in professionalism on certified farms, which pared with better market access provide better margins and profitability and prevents them more from effects of CSR campaigns.

How do you see the future of sustainable labels worldwide? Do you think demand of certified flowers will increase in the upcoming years? please share your thoughts with us!