Sustainability Statement 2025
In 2024, our membership mandated the board to take a clear position on sustainability as a key principle in our strategic vision. A Task & Finish group of members is working on a full strategy to be launched in Spring 2026.
Flowers from the farm will support members by developing a consistent and robust framework for sustainable flower growing which will set out the things that small-scall flower growers can do to ensure their growing practices are sustainable. It should withstand scrutiny, foster continuous improvement and give customers confidence in their products and services.
Our members grow predominantly outdoors with a mixed crop model and sell to local customers, this contrasts with the dominant global cut flower system which relies on protected production, monoculture crops, and long distance refrigerated transportation. Our members require a different approach to the global cut-flower industry.
Underpinning evidence base
FftF has identified that the 13 principles of Agroecology (as defined by the High Level Panel of Experts of the United Nations) offer a framework for sustainability assessment and improvement. Agroecology is increasingly recognised as one of the most successful approaches for delivering true sustainability – environmental, economic and ethical – in agricultural systems. It encompasses not only growing practices which reduce external inputs and support soil health and biodiversity, but also specifically supports small scale producers and development of local markets for products.
The Framework
Best Practice Guidelines
The framework will consist of a set of best practice guidelines so that our members can work towards sustainability consistently and their customers can buy with confidence. It is essential these guidelines are evidence based and enable members to develop plans for year on year improvement rather than imposing thresholds.
Support for members.
The best practice guidelines will be supported by a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme of resources and education offers to cover each area.
New accreditation for the cut-flower industry
Our long term objective is to work with other industry stakeholders on a relevant accreditation of both sustainability and quality standards to ensure members will be able to demonstrate their credentials in a comparable format, placing us at the forefront of ecological standard setting within the industry.
Sustainability Charter
In the short-term, we will develop an organisational charter for our members to approve and publicly commit to, enabling us to situate ourselves as industry changemakers, championing high quality, hyper-local, agroecologically grown flowers as the most sustainable product in the marketplace.