Flor Ecuador Certified

Ecuador grows some of the most sought-after roses in the world, with big heads and long stems from high-altitude farms. Flor Ecuador Certified is the country's own certification for those farms. I've spent a lot of my career on Ecuadorian farms, and this is the label I see most often there.

What it covers

Expoflores, Ecuador's association of flower producers and exporters, established Flor Ecuador Certified in 2005 as a combined social and environmental certification. Its stated goals are to protect workers' safety and health, manage natural resources efficiently, care for the environment, and comply with labor standards and the law.

How it's verified

Expoflores owns the scheme, but the audits are carried out by independent certification bodies accredited under ISO 17065. According to Expoflores, 102 farms were certified by 2022, representing about 64% of Ecuador's flower production. A newer version, Flor Ecuador Plus Certified, has applied to be benchmarked by the Consumer Goods Forum's Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative for social compliance.

What it doesn't mean

Flor Ecuador is not an organic certification, and because it's run by the national industry association, some buyers prefer to pair it with an international standard. It's still a meaningful, audited baseline.

What to ask

• Which farm, and is it Flor Ecuador or Flor Ecuador Plus?
• Is the certificate current?
• Does the farm hold any other certifications, such as Rainforest Alliance?

Sources: Expoflores, via Thursd (2022); Impakter certification index; Consumer Goods Forum SSCI. Requirements change; check the certifier's current standard before relying on a detail.