What each label on a box of flowers or a potted plant actually certifies, who checks it, and what it doesn't tell you.
I was a founding member of Veriflora, North America's first sustainability certification for flowers, so I've spent a lot of time on the inside of how these labels work. Here's what I've learned: a certification is only as good as the answer to three questions. Certified by whom? Covering what? And is it current?
Some labels cover how a crop is grown. Some cover how workers are treated. Some cover both. And some, like plant-health certificates, aren't about sustainability at all. The table below shows which is which.
| Certification | Where | Environment | Workers | Organic | Plant health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florverde Sustainable Flowers | Colombia (flowers and ornamentals) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Flor Ecuador Certified | Ecuador (flower farms) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Rainforest Alliance Certified | Worldwide, including cut flowers and ferns | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| USDA Organic | United States, and imports sold as organic in the U.S. | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| California Organic (CCOF) | California-based certifier; certifies farms in many states | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Demeter Biodynamic | Worldwide; Demeter USA certifies in the United States | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| MPS-ABC (plants and flowers) | Worldwide; common for potted plants and flowers | Yes | Separate (MPS-SQ) | No | No |
| California plant shipping certification | Nurseries shipping plants into California | No | No | No | Yes |
A summary for comparison only. Each page explains the details.
Colombia's flower sustainability standard.
Ecuador's national flower certification.
A global farm standard that includes cut flowers and ferns.
The U.S. federal organic standard, which flowers can meet.
Organic certification through California Certified Organic Farmers.
Organic, plus a whole-farm system that goes further.
A graded environmental certificate for growers, from A+ to C.
A plant-health certification, not a sustainability one.
No single certification covers everything: how a flower was grown, how workers were treated, how far it traveled, and what happens to it after your event. Use certifications to narrow your choices, then ask the rest. The seven questions start with "certified by whom?" for a reason.
Certifications are part of every free training session.
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SUSTAINABLE EVENTS. CHOICES THAT MATTER.