The impact and benefits of certification in the cultivation of ornamental plants in Spain and Portugal

The European ornamental sector faces a great challenge when it comes to achieving the specific objectives of the European Green Deal, in terms of reducing the consumption of chemical products by 50% in 2030.

Producers in this sector need efficient resources to work towards that goal, where continuous monitoring of resource use can be an important tool. Since 2002, European retail organizations have focused on the implementation and compliance of good agricultural practices, analyzing a number of aspects.

For example, the inspection of crop protection equipment, the proper storage of phytosanitary products and the use of these products according to the label instructions motivates both users of these products and vegetable producers. , fruits, flowers and plants, to make rational use of these products. The question, which can be answered by the sales statistics of the chemical industry, is whether there has been a decline in the use of these resources in the primary sector in the last 20 years.

measure to know
"Measuring is knowing" is a principle used to emphasize that for proper analysis of data, such as resource consumption per hectare or per year, it is important to record this consumption data carefully.
However, a survey of agricultural holdings in Spain and Portugal shows that at least half of the production companies do not have such a record that allows for a posteriori analysis.

The analysis of consumption data from 15 Portuguese and 70 Spanish companies that participated in the MPS-ABC registry between 2018 and 2022 shows that a significant decrease has been made in the aforementioned period. In addition, the controls that are part of the participation guarantee the validation of data and an accredited certificate that allows producers to provide evidence to buyers and other parties involved.

Monitoring: from an annual snapshot to continuous monitoring
The issuance of a certificate is normally carried out after the satisfactory completion of a control, during which it is evaluated whether the criteria have been correctly applied and fulfilled by the producer. This control is often carried out once a year, with the circumstance that the producer prepares and is therefore not a random snapshot of the year of work that the producer performs. To be more consistent with the work carried out by the company, it would make more sense to regularly obtain the tasks carried out on the farm by the producer, especially when it comes to the use of phytosanitary products.

In Spain and Portugal, more tha 170 producers of flowers, plants and other ornamental products participate in daily monitoring with MPS of their consumption of phytosanitary products, fertilizers, energy and water. They register in an “online” environment each application they execute: with what means, what quantity, in what area and crop.

From this consumption data, a score is calculated four times a year and this is reported with the necessary graphs and tables, based on which the producer can analyze and reconsider his consumption. A distinction is made between phytosanitary products with no impact (the "white" category), with some impact ("green"), a medium impact ("orange") and a high impact ("red").

The consumption data is verified externally and that leads to a rating and certificate, where MPS A+ is the highest rating, followed by A, B and C. This is comparable to the energy labels one finds on household appliances, for example. The rating is communicated externally and may be a reason for buyers of the products to do business with this producer or not. And it is worth remembering that purchasing organizations are increasingly applying sustainability criteria when purchasing their products.

When assigning a category to a production site, the following factors are considered: the impact on groundwater, soil life, aquatic life, but also the impact on humans. This assignment is made by answering a series of specific questions such as: is there recirculation or does spray and/or irrigation water enter directly into the subsoil? What is the depth of the groundwater? What is the organic matter content in the soil? Is there surface water nearby? Is the property located on a slope?, etc.

The following image shows the input screen of the MPS-ABC registration tool where producers register their consumption of phytosanitary products.

Substantial decrease in resource consumption
An analysis of the data obtained from the consumption of the Portuguese and Spanish producers who participated during the entire period between 2018 and 2022 (85 producers) shows that their consumption per hectare, in particular of the "orange" and "red" resources, has significantly decreased. This last category even by 76%, compared to 2018. MPS is active in more than 50 countries and observes that certainly in Europe consumption is decreasing across the board, in a general sense.

Several causes can be cited for the decrease in the consumption of phytosanitary products:

-The aforementioned "Measuring is knowing": only when there is specific information about what is consumed, then adjustments can be made without the crop experiencing the consequences. Each quarter, MPS provides producers with their impact report, with detailed information about their crop and the resources consumed, compared to average consumption values that MPS considers reasonable based on 28 years of data collection. Based on this data, the producer obtains information about his consumption and impact and measures can be taken to reduce the impact of the use of phytosanitary products.

-The external communication of the producer's score, through an MPS A+, A, B or C rating. For example, if the producer obtains a C rating in its production center. can limit the producer's sales possibilities to its customers. There are concrete examples of producers who had a "C" grade at their first check and then began to work ambitiously on this and currently have an "A+".

-The extensive introduction of auxiliary fauna, especially in indoor cultivation, but also increasingly in open-air cultivation. Thanks to their efforts, the use of broad-spectrum phytosanitary products in particular is decreasing, because they are not compatible with the use of auxiliary fauna.

-Possibly also rising resource costs require producers to deal with this more efficiently. Plant protection products represent a significant part of production costs.