Sept. 6, 2010, Loudon, NH – D.S. Cole Growers has taken the next step on its path to achieving sustainability certification according to MPS-Florimark Production, the chain-wide certificate of MPS combining environmental, social and quality operational components. One of the appealing aspects of the MPS process is that a grower can take small steps and earn one certificate at a time without being overwhelmed by the entire program.
After being the first certified participant for MPS-ABC in the United States, the company has now opted for certification according to MPS-GAP (Good Agricultural Practices).
Doug Cole explains why they have chosen this certificate after achieving MPS-ABC certification in 2009.
“Certifying with MPS-GAP allows our company to show that we have gone to the next step towards sustainability. To accomplish this, we found that many of the actions requested were already in place at our facility as it is in most North American companies. The pieces that we were missing were mostly items that we should be doing anyway, but put off unless forced to do so. For example, we had no emergency evacuation plan in place and we really should have one regardless of MPS-GAP.
“Another action that was good for us,” Cole continues, “was being sure that several of our staff have CPR training. MPS-GAP certification has focused our attention on details that are good for our associates and good for our business, and will require that we routinely update our attention to these details.”
Cole adds that unlike mainstream agriculture, “our industry has slipped under the radar of scrutiny by the press. Being prepared to show that we are actively supporting sustainable activities can help growers avoid bad publicity in the future.”
He says the MPS program (MPS-ABC for environment and MPS-GAP for Good Agricultural Practices) creates a positive step in providing a healthy environment for the company’s employees, as well as promotion for its products in the marketplace.
MPS-Florimark Production consists of four certificates, namely: MPS-ABC (environment), MPS-GAP (retail requirements), MPS Socially Qualified (social), and MPS-Quality. This unique combination makes MPS-Florimark a widely recognized certificate for sustainability.
There are also MPS-Florimark certificates for traders and auctions; certificates for florists will be available in the future.
For more information, growers in Eastern Canada can contact Sandra Hering at
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, while those in the West can contact Charlotte Smit at
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