Royal FloraHolland Commits to Full Sustainability by 2026

Posted by Brian Sparks|April 4, 2024

Royal FloraHolland has announced that beginning in January 2026, the majority of members and suppliers who offer, trade, and settle flowers and plants via the Royal FloraHolland platform must be certified in accordance with the requirements of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) standards. With a step-by-step approach, all members and suppliers will be working towards full FSI compliance by 2027 in phases.

With this decision by Royal FloraHolland, growers are taking their responsibility for sustainability, in line with the future-proofing of the sector, the increasing demand from society, and the requirements of legislation. It also fits the needs of the Floriculture Accelerators, a group of progressive growers, and the FSI Accelerators Group, a group of large buyers, who have committed to purchasing 100% certified by 2027.

This move is a collective step by the floriculture sector towards sustainability in Europe, with growers and buyers joining forces towards full transparency.

The floriculture sector wants to be climate neutral by 2040, as stated in the Energy Transition Agreement for Greenhouse Horticulture with the central government of Holland. There are already many examples of concrete energy transitions, such as LED lighting, geothermal energy, and solar energy. Further sustainability of floriculture is necessary to keep the world livable for future generations, with growers making enormous strides in energy, labor, use of crop protection, packaging, and water.

“I am proud of where our sector is now. Thanks to innovative strength and entrepreneurship, immense steps have been taken in recent years,” says Steven van Schilfgaarde, CEO of Royal FloraHolland. “Many members have taken the lead and invested heavily in sustainable solutions, and the same can be seen on the side of buyers, creating great initiatives. Now it is time to take the next step: certification is important for transparency and objectification. With our decision, buyers on our platform will soon only purchase flowers and plants from certified growers. This fits in with the social role of our internationally leading floriculture platform, which provides customers with more transparency. It also fits in with the role that Royal FloraHolland fulfills as a leading cooperative and floriculture hub in the Netherlands, Europe and beyond.”