Italian standard successfully benchmarked against FFP

After more than one year of preparatory work, the checklist “Fiore Giusto” successfully completed the benchmark procedure against the criteria set in the International Code of Conduct for the production of cut flowers, and was acknowledged by FFP (Fair Flowers Fair Plants), the most important international standard for the social and environmental certification of flowers and plants.

FFP have been developed by the most important stakeholders in the floral sector, in cooperation with the growers’ associations of the most important countries and a worldwide network of NGOs, aiming to stimulate the production and sales of flowers and plants cultivated in a sustainable manner. Sustainable cultivated flowers and plants are grown in a way that respects people and the environment.

These products are then presented to consumers under the label FFP. The criteria for producer participation in Fair Flowers Fair Plants are the environmental certification (the company at least has the MPS-A level or equivalent) and the social certification (the company must satisfy the requirements of the International Code of Conduct (ICC), elaborated for the flower and plant sector by the IFC (International Flower Coordination), representing a number of trade unions and human rights’ organisations active specifically in the flower and plant industry. Freedom of association, no discrimination, right to the minimum wage, respect for working hours, no child labour and no forced labour are amongst the main issues of this certification, that also pays attention to the good agricultural practices, as workers’ safety, minimal use of pesticides and protection of the environment.

This initiative is more and more successful, and in countries like Sweden, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, England and the Netherlands FFP flowers and plants can be purchased in certain shops. The intention is to scale up the number of flower shops, supermarkets and outlets were FFP products can be bought. Until now, certified products mainly came from the Netherlands, or from developing countries like Kenya, Ecuador and Ethiopia, but now also for the Italian growers will be possible to achieve this certification, that will allow them a fair competition on the main European markets.
Fiore Giusto (Italian for “Fair Flower”) is an Italian association born in 2007 after the initiative taken by the Italian NGO Bottega Solidale – Movimento Fiori e Diritti, in association with The Floral Ditrict of Western Liguria, the Italian workers’ unions and the Sanremo Flower Market, joined immediately after by the National Association of Flower Exporters (ANCEF). Main aim of the association Fiore Giusto is to develop also in Italy a social and environmental certification, in order to guarantee the consumers that flowers or ornamental plants are produced in a sustainable manner, meaning decent labor conditions and environmentally friendly: born at regional level, the association wants to spread over all the country, involving more subjects in the floral chain, and promoting an increasing attention of the consumers about this issue.

The first step was the creation of a checklist that could fit the Italian situation, but at the same time that could have an international acknowledgment: for this reason in the project is also involved RINA, an Italian certification agency that will certify the respect of the process. The task carrying on the benchmark process was taken by UCFlor, that already achieved the Global GAP certification (first in Italy for cut flowers and ornamentals plants), and was therefore able to give the technical know-how and the necessary support to check the requirements asked to complete the certification process.

“The completion of the benchmark process of Fiore Giusto by FFP is a first remarkable success in the process established more than one year ago, as this is the first accredited certification scheme outside The Netherlands” said Cristiano Calvi, president of the association “now it’s time to focus our attention to the stakeholders, growers and traders, that now are aware that they have a tool that will allow them to be fully competitive, in order to answer the requirements of a market that is more and more aware of these issues”. 

Flowerweb - Nortinews - 04-28-2009