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Improving the health of the industry and the state of the environment
One of the most compelling aspects of Florverde® is its focus on
the health and welfare of the Colombian worker. Florverde's® stringent
workplace standards are designed to improve the lives of Colombian
workers by providing social systems to support workers and their families,
fostering a system that facilitates personal and professional growth
and opportunity, and by creating and maintaining a safe work environment.
The environmental standards and care and handling measures defined
by Florverde® represent safe, sustainable floriculture and yield an
abundant supply of beautiful flowers that are available throughout
the year.
Workplace Standards
Despite the fact the Colombian law permits youth to work at the age
of sixteen, workers must be at least 18 years old to work on a Florverde®-certified
farm. This regulation is strictly enforced through routine audits.
Certified farms provide comprehensive education and training for all
workers to ensure a safe and productive workplace. At 46.5 hours per
week, the average work week is less than the 48-hour Colombian standard.
In addition, Florverde® certification requires employees to spend
a minimum of two hours per week on cultural activities to strengthen
the community infrastructure. These jobs are highly sought after,
in part because the compensation tends to be higher than minimum standards
set by law.
Participating farms provide a number of on-site benefits and social
programs to enhance the quality of their workers' family lives. These
include day care facilities, schools and facilities such as canteens,
toilets, changing rooms and washing units. They also include on-site
medical support, counseling services, family mediation, programs aimed
at building and maintaining peace in Colombia and partnerships to
facilitate housing purchases by employees.
Workplace Safety
Florverde® certification requires comprehensive workplace training
for all those that work on the farm. Comprehensive training and a
detailed procedural manual are provided to each participating farm.
Training includes a detailed review of specific steps to safeguard
workers in all farming practices including use of machinery, application
of government-approved agricultural compounds, equipment instructions,
harvesting processes and transportation.
Floriculture Quality Standards
Flowers from Florverde® certified farms are distinguished from others
by growers' commitment to product quality. The Florverde® floriculture
standards provide environmental protection by minimizing the impact
of production through the application of good agricultural practices.
In addition, in order to maintain accountability among growers, a
new system has been implemented that allows for certified flowers
to be traced from their originating farm through the distribution
chain via a tracking system. The Florverde® standards for care and
handling ensure the highest product quality from harvest all the way
through the distribution chain. These standards are enforced beginning
at the farm where flowers are cultivated in a manner that will yield
beautiful blooms within a safe working environment. Post-harvest,
additional measures are in place to keep flowers at appropriate cold
temperatures in transit to extend shelf life.
Florverde® Standard
Florverde® requires compliance with all compulsory standards (levels 1-3) and codes of conduct including operational and social guidelines before a farm can be certified.
Click here to review
a copy of the current standard.
Spanish version
Florverde® Certification Organization
Florverde® farms are certified by SGS, a renowned international audit
company based in Switzerland. SGS is the world's leading inspection,
verification, testing and certification company, widely recognized
as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than
46,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,000 offices and
laboratories around the world in support of some of the world's largest
and most visible consumer brands.
Click here to learn more
about SGS |
