Sustainable cultivation requires insight—especially into your environmental impact. Through footprinting, growers gain clarity about their sustainability performance. Collectives such as Oxin Growers, Zentoo (one of our Preferred Suppliers), and Air So Pure demonstrate how footprinting helps them cultivate more consciously. Discover the benefits they experience and how you can implement this yourself.
In greenhouse horticulture, more and more companies are calculating their environmental footprint,whether at business or product level, using European standards. These calculations are based on FloriPEFCR and FreshProducePEFCR, providing reliable insight into environmental impact and enabling fair comparison. Learn how three collectives are applying footprinting within their operations.
With 230 members, Oxin Growers is one of the largest fruit and vegetable cooperatives in the Netherlands. Last year, they launched a pilot footprint calculation with GreenlinQdata and Greenhouse Sustainability. It was so successful that they now aim to reach all their growers by the end of this year.
The cooperative is very diverse, so the main challenge lies in linking existing cultivation records to a central dashboard tool. By 2027, this should result in a practical solution.
Footprinting not only enables Oxin Growers to be transparent with their buyers but also helps identify internal opportunities for improvement. “We are still piecing the puzzle together, but the goal is clear: realistic, achievable sustainability,” says sustainability specialist Sandra van der Veer.
Zentoo, a collective of 14 chrysanthemum growers and one of our Preferred Suppliers, regards footprinting as the foundation for sustainability. Quality manager Rob van den Broek explains that they assess the environmental impact per location, identifying areas for improvement. They use 16 indicators, including CO₂ emissions, water use, and ecotoxicity.
They are constantly moving forward on sustainability, investing in solar panels, geothermal energy, heat pumps, and batteries for energy storage.
Greenhouse Sustainability supports them in data collection and site comparison. The aim is to gain insight, measure the effectiveness of sustainable innovations, and take targeted steps.
“We want our sector to become more transparent and show that we take responsibility,” says Van den Broek. This collaboration brings them closer to a transparent and future-proof horticultural sector.
Air So Pure is both a brand and a growers’ association of 13 nurseries specializing in highly air-purifying plants. Their assortment includes spathiphyllum, nephrolepis, monstera, kentia, calathea, dracaena, livistona, and ivy.
The collective works with eight concrete sustainability goals, such as annual CO₂ reduction, climate-neutral cultivation by 2040, and fully circular packaging by 2027.
KP Holland, one of the members, was the first to start footprint calculations. Their enthusiasm quickly convinced the entire collective. According to board member Pim van der Knaap, the most important aspect of footprinting is internal improvement: “If you don’t know where you stand, you can’t improve.” In addition, the collective provides insight into their joint impact, enabling meaningful discussions with chain partners about the added value of sustainability.
These collectives are taking major steps toward transparency and sustainability. Their stories clearly demonstrate: measuring is knowing, and only then can you truly get a grip on your own impact.
Read more about their impact and discover what footprinting can mean for your business.