Operationalizingsustainability at the Flower Industry

FLORVERDE:FLORVERDE: Operationalizing sustainability at the Flower

Industry since 1996y

Augusto Solano, Asocolflores

Seeley Conference 2010

Sustainability in floriculture:Sustainability in floriculture: the ONLY opportunity

• Colombia is the most

HomeSustainability in floriculture

biodiverse country in the world, per m2

• Ninth place in the pEnvironmental Performance Index*

• Second largest exporter of• Second largest exporter of flowers in the world

• Largest flower supplier to th US k tthe US market

• Florverde has been developed based on strong environmental, occupational health and labor global regulations

FLORVERDE: Operationalizing sustainability at the Flower Industry since 1996

*Yale‐Columbia universities Team, Jan‐2008

Photos: IAvH and Asocolflores

Origins

• Grower concern, regarding the impacts of the flower industry worldwide

• 1991: study of floriculture environmental impacts in Colombia; Javeriana University and Asocolfloresand Asocolflores.

• 1997: “Floriculture and Environment”, a book published by Hortitecnia and Asocolfloresby Hortitecnia and Asocolflores , with articles of 16 experts. Includes social issues.

• Born as a code of conduct“Florverde” translates “Green

Fl ” i Born as a code of conduct, Florverde evolved to a complete FLOWER BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

Flowers”,meaningSustainable flowers


Sustainability Strategy** Elements

Voluntary program initiated

E iViable

y p gin 1996 to help protect the

environment and improve the lives of flower industry

workersEconomicGrowthEquitable/ Fair

Water, Air, Soil; Biodiversity, Waste managementEnvironmental

MSocial

SUSTAINABILITY

Integrated Pest Management

ManagementSocial Progress

Occupational Health, Hygiene, Labor, Welfare, Communities

Quality, Plant material, Habitable / Livable

Traceability

**Adapted fromWorld Business Council for Sustainable Development

VisionOUR Sustainability Strategy

Certification of products/processes Data collection

and analysis +Data collection and analysis +

MUST be supported on

and analysis + SupportingResearch

and analysis + SupportingResearch

Third Third

REAL CHANGES in the field,

and Benchmarking and diagnosis /

Use

Benchmarking and diagnosis /

Use

independentparty evaluation/ certification


MUST be focused on

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT*

Action Plan Action Plan

ImplementationImplementation

FLORVERDE: Operationalizing sustainability at the Flower Industry since 1996*This is a one‐year cycle

ProcessData collection and analysis + Supporting

Data collection and analysis + Supporting

OUR Sustainability Strategy1 Florverde Sustainability Indicators System ResearchResearch

BenchmarkingBenchmarking1 D ll i 2 D l i

1. Florverde Sustainability Indicators System


Use


Use1. Data collection + supporting research

2. Data analysis3. Benchmarking

and diagnosis

www.florverde.org 25‐4

25‐5 27 139

233

212

164‐2

234

164‐4

25‐1 33 24 230

164‐3

164

164‐5

25‐3

25‐2 28

4. Use4. UseBulletinsStandardsCase studies Technical concepts Footprints



OUR Sustainability StrategyFootprints ResearchResearch

BenchmarkingBenchmarking

Footprints


Use


Use

Total consumption of Active Ingredient of Pesticides ‐ 2009

Average: in Kg‐I.A./ha

25‐4

241

15‐1

241‐3

25‐3

201‐1 9

244

171 72

164‐4

137

230 36 184 49

198‐2

221‐2

187

180

49‐1 69 43 107 27 199

158

Farms (n=161)

Water collection / all sources ‐ 2009Florverde Farms ‐ Bogotá Plateau

i /h

67 60

60‐1

114‐2

105

224

256

110

173

199

150 35

72‐2 99 83 8 89 4‐1

213 4 80 48 184 59 64 92 227

137‐1 71 56 158 86 134 9

Farms (n=67)

Average: in Lps/ha

Footprint calculation processesProcess



100%100.0%

Pesticides consumption(fumigants + non‐fumigants)

All flower types

ResearchResearch


85,8%

78,7%79,4% 80,6%

80%80.0

90.0

All flower types Benchmarking and diagnosis /

Use


Use

Consumption of active72,9%

62,6%

54,2%

66,5%65,5%

57,3%

60.0

70.0Consumption of active ingredients of chemical

pesticides by flower type per hectare

50.0

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Years

hectare• Controlling/reducing consumption

of pesticides of higher toxicity• Establishing goals for

d i / li i ireduction/elimination over time

• Promoting alternative controls, i.e. IPM, needs based

Highligts•Methyl Bromide is forbidden by Florverde since 1996

•Substitutes of this substance must be safe for human and usage• Promoting scouting/monitoring

•Substitutes of this substance must be safe for human and environment health. Therefore, Methyl Iodide is prohibited

as well



Footprint calculation processesResearchResearch

BenchmarkingBenchmarkingSources of energy Benchmarking and diagnosis /

Use


Use

Measures monthly

100%

Sources of energyOthers (DIESEL, Gas‐oil, Gas) Coal Electricity

Measures monthly consumption of energy used in the production process per

hectare50

75

hectare•Electricity•Diesel fuelG li

0

25

7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 •Gasoline•Propane•Natural gas

2007

‐07

2007

‐08

2007

‐09

2007

‐10

2007

‐11

2007

‐12

2008

‐01

2008

‐02

2008

‐03

2008

‐04

2008

‐05

2008

‐06

2008

‐07

2008

‐08

2008

‐09

2008

‐10

2008

‐11

2008

‐12

2009

‐01

2009

‐02

2009

‐03

2009

‐04

2009

‐05

2009

‐06

2009

‐07

2009

‐08

2009

‐09

2009

‐10

2009

‐11

2009

‐12

Month


•Coal



Footprint calculation processes

%Water consumption per source

ResearchResearch


67 63 58 50 48 5744 4680

100

% Benchmarking and diagnosis /

Use


Use

Water usage and

50 52 56 54

74 67 63

40

60Water usage and management

• Amount of water collected from t l ( d d f

26 33 38 42 50 52 4354

0

20

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

natural sources (ground and surface water)

• Amount of water collected from rainwater collection systems

Ground and surface water Rainwaterrainwater collection systems

• Total water used in the flower production

• Figures per region per hectare


• Figures per region, per hectare

ProcessImplementationImplementation

OUR Sustainability Strategy2 Florverde Advisory and Capacity Building2. Florverde Advisory and Capacity Building

Action Plan Action Plan

• Florverde specialist teams plan p pactions jointly with the farms, and mentor them to introduce/improve best practices

• On‐going training meetings and communications to foster continuous improvement

• Collaborative activities between• Collaborative activities between companies, and with others

• Applied research with private and public institutions feed the


and public institutions feed the action plan and implementation

ProcessImplementationImplementation

OUR Sustainability Strategy3 Alliances for Research and Development3. Alliances for Research and Development

A li d h ith i t• Applied research with private and public institutions

• Cooperation Initiatives:

Ch i l L i i h hChemical Leasing, with the National Center for Cleaner Production and UNIDO (first agricultural case in the world)

Carbon Footprint calculation

National Learning Service: Implementation of Florverde with 150 growers

Birds inventories on Florverde farms

Best Environmental and Social


Practices in Smallholders

ProcessOUR Sustainability Strategy4 Florverde Certification Thi dThi d4. Florverde Certification

A third party product certification systemThird


Third independent

party evaluation/ certification

A d C tifi ti • Uses two internationally recognized independent, third party certification bodies

f d b h

Approved Certification Bodies

Accredited under ISO65 for Florverde and Globalgap by

• Certification is granted by these independent certification bodies, not by Florverde

• Producers audited annually, plusProducers audited annually, plus random audits throughout the year

• Florverde certification is d l b

Highlightsrecognized as as equivalent by GLOBALGAP (Full Benchmark Scheme)

g g

•1.3 Billion of stems were Certified in 2009 •Currently, 70 companies and 1,600 Ha are Florverde certified

•130 companies and 3.006 Ha participate in the Continuous Improvement Process


• More than 48,000 workers have benefited from the Florverde initiatives

OUR Sustainability StrategyThe complete processThe complete process

W t Ai S il Bi di itWater, Air, Soil, Biodiversity, Waste management

Integrated Pest ManagementIntegrated Pest Management

Occupational Health, Hygiene, Labor, Welfare, CommunitiesLabor, Welfare, Communities

Quality, Plant material, Traceability

2. Advisory and Capacity Building

1.Florverde SustainabilityIndicators System

3. Alliances forResearch and Development

Florverde Certification


… And much more!

W lk

We are conductingresearch aboutbiodiversity in the

We want to talk to you about these thougts

landscape

We want to make visible our

We want toknowmore about Water We want to make visible our

efforts in water efficiencyfootprint

Our contact with you!Our contact with you!

We invite you to explore the data of the Florverde indicators

Consult the monthly reports at:

www.florverde.org /#system >>

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Operationalizingsustainability at the Flower Industry