Not only the customer, but also the climate should be happy with what we do. Greenflor therefore stands for socially responsible and future-proof business. In everything this inspiring trendsetter in floriculture does, care for people and the environment is paramount. The initiatives around improved traceability of Ecuador roses is a good example!

Transparency and traceability

Last December, Greenflors rose team launched an innovative pilot. The goal? Improved traceability of the millions of roses purchased from Ecuador every year. An important step towards transparency in the sector, for which various links in the rose chain come together. From grower to buyer and from commercial partner to IT department. A development that gives the customer direct insight into the certifications of each individual stem.

Maurice Noort of Greenflors rose team explains: ‘We are going to work with EKTs, messages in which all possible information from the grower is sent directly to us. Think of product and grower information, but especially certification data.

This data is directly visible in Florisoft. So that information can be passed on to the customer one on one’. A great development towards transparency in our sector, and one that brings Greenflor’s goal of 90% sustainable procurement in 2025 a big step closer.

To achieve this goal, innovation, technology and teamwork are key. Maurice continues: ‘By the end of this year, we aim to have all the roses that we as Greenflor buy from Ecuador fully traceable!’

Discover Greenflors Ecuador roses

Greenflor’s range of roses from Ecuador consists of 150 different varieties, from fresh to preserved and from dyed to waxed. To do this, Greenflor works with some 25 different local nurseries, each with its own speciality. Every week, 100,000 to 150,000 stems of roses from Ecuador find their way to Greenflor’s customers. Van der Plas is the largest customer in this respect, with about 50% of the trade. Thanks to fertile soils and an ideal climate, roses from Ecuador have more intense colours, larger flower heads and thicker stems. Almost all roses from Ecuador end up with florists. They turn them into beautiful showpieces for weddings or other events, for example.

What is EKT?

EKT is a standardised message in Florisoft (and other floral software) containing details of the purchase. This includes product characteristics, grower, price, photos and the date and time of the purchase, but thus also data on certifications.

Greenflor & FSI 2025

Greenflor and FTG – together with other industry peers – are pushing for faster sustainability of the floriculture sector according to the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI). This is an initiative of pioneers in the field of a sustainable and future-proof floriculture sector. This embraces the ambition that by 2025, at least 90% of the flowers and plants produced, purchased and traded by FSI members should be sustainable.