Florverde strengthens lead with new environmental tool

Florverde Sustainable Flowers, the internationally recognized certification for sustainable flower production, continues to lead the way in environmental innovation. In its ongoing commitment to support certified farms and anticipate global sustainability requirements, Florverde is introducing the Florverde Environmental Footprint Tool, a state-of-the-art system that measures the environmental impact of each flower stem throughout its entire life cycle.

The tool - developed by the Dutch organization Greenhouse Sustainability, with whom Florverde maintains a strategic alliance - is fully aligned with the FloriPEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for Cut Flowers and Potted Plants), approved by the European Commission. This is the official standard that enables the comparable measurement of floriculture’s environmental impact across 16 indicators - including carbon footprint, water use, pesticide application, and waste generation - while preventing misleading environmental claims and strengthening trust across the value chain.

Florverde's stand at Proflora was the hub of many a meeting with buyers from around the world to discuss the schemes latest developments and successes.

Florverde®is a member of the FloriPEFCR Technical Secretariat, together with leading institutions such as Royal FloraHolland, Wageningen Economic Research, Union Fleurs, FSI, MPS Group, Natuur & Milieu, PRé Sustainability, Blonk, and GroentenFruit Huis. Florverde is also joined by Union Fleurs and FSI, the organizations that spearheaded the development of this international initiative, underlining the global significance of this launch and ensuring that sustainability is addressed in a consistent, science-based manner.

“Florverde has always stood out for anticipating what will soon become mandatory,” said Daniela España, (pictured top) Director of Florverde Sustainable Flowers. “This new tool equips our certified farms with reliable, transparent, and comparable data that not only meet future reporting requirements under the EU Green Deal but also demonstrate sustainability in a way that is meaningful for clients, regulators, and society at large. For us, it is a matter of coherence: proving sustainability with data and transparency is the best way to build trust and to fight against greenwashing in our industry.”

Currently, more than 220 certified farms in Colombia and Ecuador, representing over 9,000 hectares, already benefit from this initiative - with plans for future expansion into Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, and Chile.

Water reclamation is a key part of a grower's responsibilities.  In Colombia the reservoirs are also used to protect endangered species like the Tingua 

While the methodology is still voluntary, several wholesale buyers in the Netherlands have already begun requesting product-level environmental footprint data from their suppliers, a clear sign of the growing market demand for transparency.

By measuring the footprint of each product across the entire supply chain, the tool provides a powerful sustainability indicator that enhances trust and accountability for all stakeholders — from producers and importers to retailers and final consumers. It helps certified farms communicate their progress with greater clarity, strengthens commercial relationships, and positions Latin American flowers as leaders in responsible production.

Florverde goes beyond legal compliance by consistently staying at the forefront of what more can be done to create a positive impact. Its mission is to support breeders, flower, foliage, and ornamental producers in becoming more competitive in an increasingly demanding international market. By anticipating trends and aligning with the regulatory frameworks of major destination markets such as the United States and Europe, Florverde helps its certified members strengthen their sustainability performance while securing long-term commercial opportunities.

Through this tool, Florverde reaffirms its commitment to:

• Meeting the objectives of the European Green Deal
• Delivering reliable, comparable data aligned with CSRD reporting requirements
• Providing environmental transparency and traceability to meet international market demands
• Fighting greenwashing by demonstrating sustainability with robust, verifiable data

To facilitate adoption, Florverde will soon offer free training webinars to certified members, providing guidance on how to apply the tool and integrate results into broader sustainability reporting frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

With this initiative, Florverde reinforces its mission to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability leadership of the flower sector in Latin America, keeping its members a step ahead in the global transition toward more transparent and environmentally responsible production.