Thanks to a new certification, sustainability at Landgard is now even easier to recognise at a glance - despite its many faces. In the theme of their sustainability strategy the German grower cooperation characterises products that are produced in a particularly environmentally friendly manner instantly with the new brand as 'certified sustainable products'. It concerns products from the categories flowers and plants as well as fruit and vegetables.
"With the new certification the trade can offer its customers an even clearer orientation from now on. Many consumers want to be able to chose products quickly and conscientiously that contribute to the protection of the environment and relieving the pressure from valuable natural resources," says dr. Svea Pacyna-Schürheck, department leader of quality and sustainability management at Landgard. "As a horticultural cooperation we contribute a special responsibility - not just for our member companies but also for the environment. With the new brand we want to contribute to the expansion of the supply of sustainable products in the trade."
To get the new quality brand, the product has to meet a large variety of criteria, which are closely controlled by the Landgard sustainability experts and are continually developed. Generally, only products that are certified according to GlobalGAP, MPS-ABC or a comparable standard and then produced via the social demands of GRASP, MPS-SQ or a comparable standard are allowed under the new sustainability brand. The product must also stand out measurably in one of the following categories: economical use of sources with an eye towards substrate, energy, water or crop protection, promotion of biodiversity, sustainable packaging, extra certification or input for social justice which reaches much further than the legal minimum standards. Only if a product meets these strict regulations, will it have earned the new quality brand as a 'certified sustainable product'.