Looking for safe and environmentally respectful products, retailers and manufacturers became
more interested in the use of “sustainable” methods. In the agricultural production this
includes diverse concepts like integral farms, none or minimum pesticide use, environmental
sensitivity, long term soil management, as well as preoccupations related to the worker dignity,
health, and well-being. The Colombian floriculture represents one of the main agricultural sectors
for the country, due to its employment generation and external money incoming, but its
production can entail diverse ecological and social problems. It is here where the management
systems and environmental certification work. The management is related to a process of
continuous improvement through the planning, the implementation of good practices, the elaboration
of protocols, registries and revision. In the floriculture there are different certification
systems like EurepGAP-GAP, MPS, FLP and the Rainforest Alliance, among others. In Colombia
the program Florverde, by Asocolflores, is remarkable. These systems present differences and
similarities in their approaches and demands, but in general they can be related with the search
of a greater sustainability on the flower production. Nevertheless, its sole implementation
does not guarantee sustainability.
