From certification to impact: why reliable data matters
Sustainability has become an integral part of the international ornamental horticulture sector. Growers are being asked to demonstrate their environmental and social performance, buyers need reliable information from their supply chains, and legislation is placing increasing demands on the substantiation of sustainability claims.
At the same time, the sector itself wants to make progress. This development raises an important question: how do we move from talking about sustainability to demonstrating real, measurable impact?
At MPS, we believe reliable data is a crucial part of the answer. For more than thirty years, MPS has worked with ornamental horticulture companies around the world to make sustainability transparent and measurable.
Certification remains our foundation, but it is no longer our destination
Brenda Hanemaaijer Marketing & Communication Specialist, MPS
Certification remains an essential part of that work. It provides a common framework, establishes requirements and enables independent verification. But as the sector develops, certification alone is no longer enough. The next step is to make better use of the information behind certification. Our ambition is to transform trusted sustainability data into insights that help companies improve, demonstrate progress and prepare for the future. From compliance to insight Every day, horticultural companies generate valuable information about their operations: the use of crop protection agents, fertilisers, energy and water, as well as information relating to working conditions and other aspects of social responsibility. Historically, much of this information has primarily been collected to demonstrate compliance. We see a much broader role for it. Reliable sustainability data can help companies understand their own performance, identify opportunities for improvement and make informed decisions. When used at a larger scale, it can also provide insight into developments across the sector. For growers, this means understanding where they perform well, where improvements are possible and how they compare with peers. For traders and retailers, it means having reliable information to support purchasing decisions and sustainability claims. And for the sector as a whole, trusted data provides the insight needed to identify trends, measure progress and prepare for future legislation. That shift, from data as evidence to data as a basis for improvement, is central to the strategy of MPS. Our ambition is therefore not simply to certify whether a company meets a standard. We want to help turn data into sustainable impact. This is also reflected in our approach: certification, data and insights increasingly reinforce one another. Reliability comes first There is, however, an important condition. More data does not automatically mean better sustainability information. Data must be reliable, comparable and meaningful. That becomes increasingly important as environmental information moves further through the supply chain. Retailers and traders need information they can trust. Growers need to know that comparisons are based on consistent methodologies. And when sustainability information is communicated externally, claims must be supported by robust evidence.
This is where certification and data come together. Certification provides the trusted foundation, while data creates the insights needed to understand performance and drive improvement. This philosophy is reflected in solutions such as the HortiFootprint Calculator, where verified MPS data forms the basis for robust environmental footprint calculations using the FloriPEFCR methodology. Our MPS-ABC certification provides trusted environmental data, while other MPS standards address good agricultural practices and social responsibility. Together, these building blocks enable companies to move beyond compliance towards measurable sustainability performance.
Making data easier to use For this approach to work, we also need to recognise a practical reality: growers should be able to spend their time growing, not repeatedly entering the same information into different systems. That is why another important part of our strategy is making the collection and exchange of data easier. Through digital connections and APIs, information can increasingly be transferred directly between systems. This reduces administrative work, prevents duplication and can improve data quality at the same time. It may sound like a technical development, but it is fundamental to sustainability. If we want more reliable data, we also need to make it practical for companies to provide and use that data. A shared responsibility No organisation can achieve this transition alone. The horticultural sector is international and highly interconnected. Growers, certification organisations, traders, retailers, industry organisations and technology providers all have a role to play. That means we need common methodologies, interoperability between systems and, above all, trust in the information being exchanged. For MPS, this is where our role is evolving. We remain firmly rooted in certification, but we are increasingly using that foundation to help companies and the wider sector understand sustainability performance and translate information into action. After all, collecting sustainability data should never be the end goal. The real value emerges when reliable data helps a grower make a better decision, enables a buyer to understand the environmental performance of a product, or gives the sector insight into where progress is being made and where further action is needed. Certification will always remain an essential part of our work. But the real value lies in what trusted sustainability data enables. Better decisions. Better performance. Better horticulture. That is the future MPS is helping to build.
Sustainability becomes meaningful when we can not only say that we are making progress, but also show it.