Florverde Sustainable Flowers

Colombia is one of the largest flower exporters in the world, and a large share of the roses, carnations and alstroemeria in American event work start there. Florverde Sustainable Flowers is the sustainability standard built for that industry.

What it covers

Florverde is a social and environmental standard for flowers and ornamentals. It covers good agricultural practice, environmental management and worker welfare, and it is backed by a team of agronomists and social workers. An advisory council of growers, agronomists, NGOs and government officials guides changes to the standard, and major changes go out for public consultation.

How it's verified

Florverde writes the standard, but it doesn't award the certificate itself. Independent certification bodies, such as Icontec and NaturaCert, audit the farms. An audit includes reviewing farm records, inspecting the farm, interviewing workers and reviewing lab test results. Florverde is also listed in the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative's basket of recognized standards.

What it doesn't mean

Florverde is not an organic certification. Certified farms can still use conventional crop protection within the standard's rules. If a client asks for organic flowers, Florverde is not the answer; if they ask whether the people who grew the flowers were treated fairly, it's a good one.

What to ask

• Which farm, and is its Florverde certificate current?
• Who audited it?
• Does the certificate cover the specific product you're buying?

Sources: Florverde Sustainable Flowers; Control Union; Impakter certification index. Requirements change; check the certifier's current standard before relying on a detail.