On 1 November, there was a meeting at Waterdrinker organised by the Versnellers*. The main topic was the exchange of sustainable data between flower and plant traders.
As a flower and plant trading company, we have to comply with laws and regulations, such as the CSRD, which requires European reporting on sustainability from 2025. Transparency in the floriculture chain is essential, with certification as the basis. In the future, data on things like carbon footprint and packaging will probably also become important to share.
For that transparency, it is crucial that through EKTs, for example, it is shown exactly where products come from and how growers have addressed potential social and environmental risks. Passing on GLN (Global Location Number) and VBN codes is necessary for this. Without these numbers, it is not possible to identify which product was supplied by the middleman, where it came from and whether it was certified.
To gain this insight and cover these risks, flowers & plants should be purchased certified according to the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) Basket of Standards . The message was well received by the brokers present. It was stressed to look for appropriate and technical solutions together with the buyer.
Gerard Wijma, managing director of Adomex, gave a presentation on the importance of sharing information, the route Adomex has taken and gave useful tips for the brokers present.
All in all, it was a successful meeting that helped clear up ambiguities and build confidence to share sustainable data data.
*Facilitators are: Floral Trade Group, FM Group, Royal FloraHolland, Royal Lemkes, Dutch Flower Group and VGB. Dutch Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products. The joint goal of the accelerators, as members of FSI, is to procure 90% sustainable (certified according to FSI's basket) trade by 2025.