Royal Van Zanten achieves MPS certification and completed pilot in S. Africa

‘A sustainable operation is very important to us. We are ambitious where crop protection reduction is concerned and quality is one of our core values. We are not only working on the best product, but are also constantly optimizing and making our processes more sustainable,’ says Maurice van der Meer, Production Manager at Van Zanten Breeding.

The desire to become more sustainable is shared with passion by Royal van Zanten’s international staff. In its manifesto, ‘We care, so we act’, a group of employees drew up the company’s sustainability vision on behalf of them all.

The new MPS-SQ status stands for ‘Socially Qualified’. This certificate demonstrates that Royal van Zantenmeetsinternationalhealthand safetyrequirements.MPS-GAPis relevant in the chain, especially with international retailers. It means that Royal van Zanten meets requirements in areas such as traceability, environment, plant protection products and recall procedures.

Martijn Swinkels, Director of Production & Logistics: ‘The MPS-ABC certification for the laboratory in South Africa is something we are very proud of. Not many labs are MPS certified yet, and we are extremely proud that our colleagues in South Africa managed to achieve this status. With the MPS -C certification, we also have a better understanding of our own environmental impact in South Africa and can therefore focus even better on reducing it. In the coming years, the scheme of MPS will be further developed. In doing so, we support MPS.’

Achieving MPS certification is an important step in Royal van Zanten's sustainability journey. Full MPS certification for all sites by 2025 is one of the major sustainability goals the company is setting itself. The sustainability targets set by the company and its annual status can be found in Royal van Zanten 's annual ESG report.

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About MPS

MPS is a movement by and for growers with a mission to make the horticultural sector more sustainable. MPS makes sustainability efforts transparent, measurable and demonstrable. MPS certificates are internationally recognised. They cover environmental, quality assurance and social aspects.

About Royal Van Zanten

Royal Van Zanten is an innovative company operating successfully within the international floriculture industry. By continuously improving genetics, by creating synergy in breeding and propagation technology and by intensive cooperation in marketing with partners in the chain, Royal Van Zanten has managed to operate at the top of the international floriculture market for more than 160 years. Van Zanten Breeding has a strong position in the cut flower products Aster, Alstroemeria, Statice, Chrysanthemum and Bouvardia and also in the pot products Aster, Alstroemeria, Bouvardia, Celosia, Chrysanthemum, Lavandula and Multiflora. This position will be further expanded in the coming years.

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