Fair Flowers Fair Plants and Sustainability in Floral and Event Design

In this age of global warming and the fact that New Orleans is one of the cities threatened by rising sea levels and loss of wetland hurricane protection.  Many of you know that we have been working on seeking out sustainably produced botanicals and other green-thinking event elements for more than a year now.  We would like to introduce to you Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP). 

Primarily active in the European Union, FFP puts forth two fundamental principles: Sustainability in Production and Distribution of fresh cut flowers and a higher level of Social Responsibility ensuring that the employees of farms are treated fairly. 

Nearly sixty percent of the flowers we sell for retail delivery and those used in the design of our weddings and events are certified by FFP.

About Fair Flowers Fair Plants

The following is from the FFP website and we encourage you to learn more at www.fairflowersfaiplants.com.

Environmental certification

Due to their impact on the environment the environmental certification is based on the production methods and means. The company qualification is determined by the quantity and quality of crop protection agents, fertilizers, energy and water, used for production processes throughout the company, and of the separation of waste water.
MPS qualification for example requires not only an initial company audit but regular producers' registration reports on the environment aspects as well. The total of the scores for each environment aspect results in the final qualification level A, B or C, but only if the producer has sent in the reports during 13 successive periods of 4 weeks. The initial audit is necessary to verify the reported data by means of reviewing the financial and stock administration of crop protection agents and fertilizers.


The obligatory registration provides producers with a higher awareness of their production methods and means, offering them a possibility to compare their production processes with those of other growers of the same product. The registration clearly shows the environmental impact of growing flowers and plants and stimulates producers to look for alternative production methods and to minimize the use of agents and fertilizers.


A qualification at MPS-A level represents the highest achievable level of environment conscious cultivation methods. Producers with an environmental certification at this level qualify for participation in Fair Flowers Fair Plants.

More about the social certification

The Fair Flowers Fair Plants participation also requires producers' certification for social requirements, as defined in the following 10 statements:


1. Freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining
2. No discrimination (equality of treatment)
3. Right to minimum (living) wages
4. Respect for working hours
5. A healthy and safe workplace
6. Responsible and minimal use of pesticides
7. Work guarantee
8. Protection of the environment
9. No child labour
10. No forced labour


The 10 basic rules above have been drawn up into the ICC (International Code of Conduct) for the flower- and plant industry by the IFC (International Flower Coordination). A number of trade unions and human rights organizations that are specifically active in the flower and plant industry are represented in the IFC. These representatives are present at social certification audits, to guarantee the legitimacy of the social quality mark to which their names are linked.


Failing the certification requirements means failing the Fair Flowers Fair Plants targets and can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of the FFP membership.

FFP standard
What is the international standard of Fair Flowers Fair Plants?

Producers can participate in Fair Flowers Fair Plants when they fulfil strict environmental and social requirements. They have to be certified in order to prove that they meet the criteria. Certification includes regular reports by the company and inspections of the company: scheduled and non scheduled visits in which the company has to co-operate. FFP has chosen for an international standard at the level of:

Environmental certification

The company is certified at MPS-A or comparable level. MPS (Milieu Programma Sierteelt) is an international organization that develops and controls labels for the horticultural industry.

Social certification

The company meets the requirements of the International Code of Conduct.


Producers can participate conditionally in Fair Flowers Fair Plants when they have acquired one of the two necessary certifications and have committed themselves to obtain the missing certification within 1 year. Conditionally accepted can be participants with:


1. environmental certification at MPS-A or comparable level + the commitment to obtain the social certification within 1 year


2. environmental certification at MPS-B or comparable level + social certification + the commitment to upgrade the environmental certification to MPS-A or comparable level within 1 year.

How to recognize the status?

Producers with both the environmental and the social certification are fully accepted FFP participants. Products of these growers are indicated with an 'F' (replacing the 'A') on the auction clock. The 'F' is also printed on the electronic clock transactions (EKT's).


Producers with one of the required certifications are conditionally accepted FFP participants. They are committed to improve their company management to obtain the missing certification within 1 year. Products of these growers do not have a specific indication on the auction clock, but are indicated with a 'T' printed on the EKT's.


Urban Earth continues in our efforts towards Sustainability in our Floral, Wedding, and Event Design. We have already begun to reduce the amount of petroleum based products we use in our events and increase the use of reusable and recycled/recyclable elements in design.  Remember those old metal "frogs" that your grandmother had to arrange flowers? In two of the events we produced just this week, frogs were used in place of petroleum-based floral foam.  Very little plastic was used and the containers were glass.  Other than organic left-overs (stems and leaves) there was very little non-organic waste that ends up in a landfill someplace..