GLOBALG.A.P. to showcase floriculture solutions at royal FloraHolland’s Trade Fair Aalsmeer

The new GLOBALG.A.P. flagship Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) standard version 6 for flowers and ornamentals is a smarter, streamlined, and more intuitive standard dedicated to the floriculture sector. Complementing the IFA standard, the Impact-Driven Approach to Sustainability add-on (IDA) enables producers to collect, process, and store environmental sustainability data to target continuous improvements. On a B2C level, the cross-category GGN label has performed well in the floriculture sector and continues to expand with the launch of the new category “fruit and vegetable plants in pots” taking place at Trade Fair Aalsmeer. 

Taking place from 9–11 November, Trade Fair Aalsmeer is an initiative of Royal FloraHolland. The event brings the floriculture sector together each year to reflect on the latest trends and innovations, this year including a team of GLOBALG.A.P. experts who will be presenting the comprehensive range of smart farm assurance solutions for floriculture.

Floriculture standard for the smart era 

Drawing from over 20 years of experience and developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders around the world, the event marks the first opportunity for GLOBALG.A.P. to present the new and improved flagship standard – IFA v6 – to the floriculture sector.

Currently, 39,155.89 hectares of noncovered crops and12,030.85 hectares of covered crops originate from IFA certified production processes worldwide (as of 30/09/2022). Reflecting growing market demands and the need for a dedicated floriculture standard, IFA v6 is simpler and more focused, supporting safer and more sustainable farming practices throughout the entire production process. It builds on GLOBALG.A.P.’s familiar holistic approach with new and upgraded principles and criteria in the key areas of environmental sustainability and workers’ well-being. “ The IFA v6 certificate for flowers and ornamentals reflects floriculture and ornamental production which avoids nutrient pollution of water and soil, works towards minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizes the use of water sources, cares for the health and safety of workers, enhances biodiversity where feasible, and enforces recordkeeping and data-based management”, JuanCarlos Isaza,Senior Technical Expert Floriculture, GLOBALG.A.P., summarizes the advantages of IFA v6.

The standard also adopts an outcome-oriented approach, with the focus on results rather than prescriptive requirements, that provides flexibility to producers in demonstrating compliance.  

IFA v6 remains closely aligned with international frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and features updated environmental criteria in areas such as energy efficiency, eutrophication risk mitigation, and input optimization. The requirements also support producers in minimizing their CO2 and equivalent emissions and collecting data that can eventually be used to calculate their environmental footprint.  

Impact-Driven Approach enables continuous improvement 

In addition to the data and metrics embedded in the IFA v6 standard, GLOBALG.A.P. will be highlighting the IDA add-on at Trade Fair Aalsmeer. IDA is in line with Floriculture Sustainability Initiative requirements regarding digital registration for environmental metrics. 

Covering input consumption – energy, water, plant protection products, nitrogen, and phosphorus – the tool helps producers to identify areas for continuous improvement. Through a farm management system, farm data is shared with GLOBALG.A.P. and returned to producers in personalized trend graphs and progress reports. Reports show how producers compare with comparable (anonymous) producers in terms of input consumption. “ More and more traders only want to purchase certified, sustainable products fromour marketplace. With digital environmental registration and certification, like GLOBALG.A.P.’sIDA, a grower can make it clear to buyers that their products have been grownin a sustainable way and contribute to the positive image of our sector. We at Royal FloraHolland are happy that there are different products offered by GLOBALG.A.P.  that can help growers achieve their ambitions for a more sustainable future!” emphasizes Frits Jonk,Program Manager Phytosanitary Affairs & Sustainable and Quality Development Royal FloraHolland. 

For retailers, the participation of supply chain stakeholders in a data-sharing program can be a valuable tool in emergencies. The possibility to oversee distribution and trends in input consumption within a supply base is another area that will be explored with stakeholders in the future.  

Cross-category GGN label adds new product category

Standing for certified, responsible farming and transparency,  the GGN label has seen strong adoption in the floriculture sector. The GGN label enables retailers to make their commitment to responsible farming practices visible on store shelves and enables consumers to trace the roots of their products through the dedicated GGN label portal. 

Fruit and vegetable plants in pots are a special case as they are primarily produced by flower and ornamentals growers and traded in the floriculture supply chain under the general category of “plants”. However, the products themselves – such as vegetable plants, fruit trees, berry bushes, and herbs – are classified under the product category fruit and vegetables (under the IFA v6 standard). 

As with other products in the agriculture scope, a fully compliant GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice assessment is required for producers and GLOBALG.A.P. Chain of Custody certification is required for the supply chain. While fruit and vegetable producers participating in the GGN label initiative are required to take part in a GLOBALG.A.P. approved residue monitoring system, this is only necessary for fruit and vegetable plants in pots if the plants are edible or bear edible parts at the time of sale. 

The first fruit and vegetable plants in pots with a GGN label are projected to be available in stores from spring 2023.  

GLOBALG.A.P. is a brand of smart farm assurance solutions developed by FoodPLUS GmbH in Cologne, Germany, with cooperation from producers, retailers, and other stakeholders from across the food industry. These solutions include a range of standards for safe, socially and environmentally responsible farming practices. The most widely used GLOBALG.A.P. standard is IFA, applicable to fruit and vegetables, aquaculture, floriculture, livestock, and more. This standard also forms the basis for the GGN label: the consumer label for certified, responsible farming and transparency. 

The GLOBALG.A.P. brand began its journey as EUREPGAP in 1997. 25 years later, over 200,000 producers have GLOBALG.A.P. certification in 134 countries. Nearly 150 team members around the world are dedicated to the mission of spreading responsible farming practices to ensure safe food for future generations.  
www.globalgap.org  

The GGN label is a consumer label that stands for certified, responsible farming and transparency. Found in stores on both packed and loose fruit and vegetables, farmed seafood, flowers, and plants, the label offers shoppers a quick, consistent way to recognize products that align with their values on the topics of animal welfare and social and environmental responsibility. 

Accompanying the logo on product packaging is a unique 13-digit identification number that can be entered into the GGN label portalto trace the origins of the product. All products with the GGN labelcome from farms with production processes that are independently audited and certified to the strict criteria of GLOBALG.A.P. standards or benchmarked equivalents. 

The GGN label is owned by FoodPLUS GmbH in Cologne, Germany. To find out more, visit  www.ggn.org 

Photo: GLOBALG.A.P., left: Sarah von Fintel, GGN Label KAM Floriculture, right: Eszter Simon, GGN Label Administration Floriculture