At Hoek flowers we place a high value on sustainability, this is reflected in our products and operations. We try to offer flowers and plants that are both beautiful and ecofriendly. To achieve this goal, we work together with passionate growers who are also focused on growing their flowers as sustainably as possible. We would like to show you this commitment to the planet and environment through our certificates.
How to find sustainable flowers and plants in our webshop
Go to hoekflowers.com and log in. Select the main group called ‘Flowers’ or ‘Plants’ in the left menu. When you’re in that stock, scroll to the bottom and click on ‘Filters’. The option ‘Certificate’ will appear, here you’ll find a list of all the certificates that we own, click on one to see all the flowers with that specific certificate.
What do the Certificates mean?
Below you’ll find an overview of the certificates you can find in our webshop!
MPS Certification
MPS, or Environmental Project Floriculture, is an organization through which growers can demonstrate their sustainable way of growing flowers. The MPS certificate helps companies to consciously deal with the environment by monitoring their energy and fertilizer consumption. The MPS A+ certificate is the highest possible certificate, followed by MPS A, B, and MPS C. MPS Gap, Global GAP, and GRASP are certificates that demonstrate compliance with 'Good Agricultural Practices'. This means that the grower works with guidelines in terms of food safety, sustainability, and quality. MPS SQ indicates that good working conditions play an important role with the grower. This certificate shows that the company meets requirements in terms of the safety and health of employees.
Organic - flowers
Organic flowers come from growers who have an official BIO certificate. This certificate is given by SKAL, an independent organization that supervises compliance with European regulations for organic agriculture. Organic growers operate sustainably. They only use organic fertilizers to ‘feed’ their flowers and avoid the use of pesticides, this ensuring healthy crops and a healthy environment. Enjoy the natural beauty of organic flowers. Did you know that Hoek flowers are also Skal certified? Want to know more? Read on in the blog New Organic Certificate: SKAL Biocontrol
Certificates South America and Africa
Growing and buying flowers carries great responsibility. This also applies to flowers that come from South America and Africa. Through our team on location, both in Colombia, South Africa, we know the growers personally and know which farms the products come from. Two significant organizations that are supporting Colombian growers are ‘Florverde Sustainable Flowers’ and ‘Rainforest Alliance’. Both are globally recognized and meet high standards in both environmental and social impact.
Florverde
Florverde is an organization committed to the sustainable production of flowers in Colombia. Florverde offers a certification system to flower growers who meet high standards in terms of environment, social responsibility, and quality. Florverde aims to enhance the positive impact of the floral sector on society and the environment and to improve the competitiveness of Colombian flowers. This organization collaborates with other organizations, such as the Rainforest Alliance and Global GAP, to promote international recognition of the certificate.
Rainforest Alliance
The green frog is the symbol of the Rainforest Alliance, an organization committed to sustainability and conservation. You can find this symbol on many products, including many flowers from Colombia. Since 1987, the Rainforest Alliance has been helping raise awareness about the consequences of deforestation, especially in the Amazon rainforest. They also support flower growers to play a positive role in their community by creating not only jobs but also education, food, housing, and healthcare.
KFC Silver
KFC Silver is a certificate awarded by the Kenya Flower Council to members who adhere to best practices to produce cut flowers and related products. The certificate ensures that the members consider the social and ecological impact of their activities and that they respect the safety and well-being of their employees according to the laws of Kenya. The certificate also promotes the social responsibility of the members.
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