Market requirements for flower producers

AUDITING NEWSLETTER

As a market-driven initiative that brings together members of the international floriculture sector, the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) has implemented a basket of standards to build on the progress made on transparency, responsible production and trade, positive impacts, and improvement in the floriculture supply chain. Since the 1st of January the FSI basket of standards includes three scopes:

  • Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
  • Social
  • Environmental

By 2025, flower suppliers will be required to comply with all three scopes of the FSI basket of standards. Flower producers can comply with the FSI basket requirements when certified by the accepted standards in the GAP, Social, and Environmental scopes.

What audits can be conducted?

To comply with the FSI basket requirements, flower producers will have to be audited/certified by an accepted standard within the GAP, Social, and Environmental scope to be deemed compliant. As both the SIZA Social and SIZA Environmental standards are accepted as part of the FSI basket of standards, flower producers from South Africa can use their SIZA Social and SIZA Environmental Audit Completion Letters to indicate compliance with the social and environmental scope. An audit against a standard such as the GLOBALG.A.P. Floriculture Standard will be required for the GAP scope.

What must be achieved by flower producers by 2025?

In addition to the audits within the GAP, Social and Environmental basket, it will also be required that flower producers achieve the following objectives by 2025:

  • Calculate carbon footprint using a digital recordkeeping platform.
  • Reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon reduction goals that are in line with the Paris Agreement, which was undersigned by South Africa and other countries to reduce carbon emissions and to keep the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
  • Reduce the living wage gap of workers at the farm level by ensuring that workers’ payment always complies with the National Minimum Wage rate and ensure that it is adjusted annually as per legislative requirements.

What markets require compliance with the FSI basket of standards?

The following stakeholders will require compliance with the FSI basket of standards:

  • Aldi
  • Albert Heijn
  • Greenyard Flowers Netherland
  • Groenland
  • IKEA
  • Jumbo
  • Royal Flora Holland
  • Floral Trade Group
  • Flamingo Group International

 

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