MPS partners with VALHOR for Plante Bleue certification in France

VALHOR and its partner, the French association Excellence Végétale, have two objectives in entering into this agreement:

• Ensuring recognition of the French Plante Bleue certification in the suite of the FSI’s sustainable labels: VALHOR, which owns the Plante Bleue certification, joined the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative in 2023 and endorses the FSI2025 target of achieving 90% sustainable production methods for flowers and plants in the market. As part of these efforts, VALHOR and Excellence Végétale are working on adding Plante Bleue to the suite of FSI’s sustainable labels by the end of 2025. In order to enable this recognition, it is essential for the professionals involved to use a production record-keeping environment that is both sound and fully aligned.
• Enabling access to relevant and consolidated data: all certified producers will be able to use an identical tool that allows them to monitor any changes in practices, and that is equipped to provide public authorities or professional organisations with consolidated production data to guide strategic decision-making.

MPS will continue to act on behalf of an increasingly sustainable industry
For the past 30 years, MPS has been dedicated to promoting sustainable horticulture by developing certifications and tools for horticulturists and nursery owners, and it currently operates in more than 50 countries. In addition to developing certifications, MPS also believes in the importance of tools designed to enable companies to monitor their usage and increase their output, as well as ensuring measurable recognition for individual and collective efforts undertaken.

With this in mind, MPS has decided to team up with VALHOR and Excellence Végétale to adapt its tool for online use, and to more effectively meet the requirements of the Plante Bleue certifications and certified companies.

Through this partnership, MPS also intends to provide more services to its French members, some of which hold both the MPS-ABC and the Plante 2 or 3 certification.

A multifunctional tool tailored to the requirements of certification
The MPS record-keeping environment is already used by a number of Plante Bleue-certified companies, and this new partnership is geared to specific developments designed to better meet the requirements of French certification.

It will provide several benefits to production companies in terms of monitoring inputs, and will enable these companies to satisfy regulatory requirements for registering their practices (including, for example, phytosanitary product applications). In addition, it allows them to automatically calculate certain values to be consulted in the Plante Bleue Level 3 audit standard.

This tool is to be implemented progressively from 1 January 2026, and will be compulsory for all Level 2 and Level 3 Plante Bleue-certified companies. Companies will be trained and supported in implementing the tool.

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