The GGN label has quickly become an important and trusted means of ensuring traceability and giving consumers valuable insights into the origins of their purchased produce. This positive trend is reflected in the cooperation with the latest partner Van Dijk Flora, which was recently announced at the IPM horticulture fair in Essen, Germany. The company clearly sees the GGN label as the most adequate means of ensuring reliable traceability.
First Dutch exporter of flowers and plants with Chain of Custody certification
Founded in 1972, Van Dijk Flora is one of the leading retail suppliers of flowers and plants to supermarket chains in Europe. The company has a rich history and is well known in the floriculture sector. With the objective to further reinforce their position in the European market, Van Dijk Flora became part of Dutch Flower Group (DFG) in January 2007. As part of DFG, Van Dijk Flora is one of the fastest growing companies in the field. “Our customers increasingly ask us to give them insights into the origin of our products. The GGN label provides retailers as well as consumers with exactly the information they are looking for, including an image of the grower who is dedicated to growing the best flowers and plants for our customers. We are very happy and proud to be the first Dutch exporter of flowers and plants with Chain of Custody certification. In autumn 2018, we started to supply roses with the GGN label. Our assortment of GGN labelled flowers and plants will rapidly increase in the coming months,” says Sustainability Manager José van der Klauw of Van Dijk Flora.
Information about responsible production of flowers and ornamental plants via online portal
The GGN label was introduced in July 2017 and covers the issues of environment, product safety, and traceability, as well as occupational health and safety. By using the GGN label, consumers have the possibility to trace the flowers and plants they have bought back to their origin on www.ggn.org using the GLOBALG.A.P. Number (GGN). As a central communication tool, the portal also provides in-depth information about the participating producers and their certified production methods. “When developing the label and the consumer portal www.ggn.org, one of the main aspects we focused on was to establish a direct link between producers and consumers,” explains GLOBALG.A.P. CEO Dr Kristian Moeller. “That is why we adhered to consumer wishes for transparency in a constant dialogue with retailers and producers, and together developed the GGN label. An important aspect was to give consumers concrete information about the responsible production of flowers and ornamental plants via the online portal. The farm profiles on www.ggn.org, with their in-depth information on their production methods of the respective producers, serve to fulfill this purpose.”
Photo: GLOBALG.A.P.
from left: Federica Berardo (GLOBALG.A.P.), José van der Klauw (Van Dijk Flora), Eva Dahlqvist (Van Dijk Flora), Kristian Moeller (GLOBALG.A.P. CEO), Sarah von Fintel (GLOBALG.A.P.)