Sustainability Standard for Nursery and Greenhouse Operations

Food Alliance provides a sustainability standard which nursery and greenhouse producers may use to evaluate management practices, measure social and environmental performance, or seek voluntary third-party certification.

What Does the Standard Cover? 

The standard addresses the following areas of concern:

• soil and water conservation, 
• wildlife habitat and biodiversity conservation, 
• adaptive management of pests, diseases, and weeds, 
• safe and fair working conditions, and 
• operational efficiencies (energy use, recycling, etc.).

To Whom Does the Standard Apply? 

The standard applies to field, container, and greenhouse operations in North America producing one or more of the following products:

• woody ornamentals
• annuals
• perennials
• foliage plants
• potted flowering plants
• cut flowers

The standard does not currently apply to Christmas trees, tree farms, etc.

Where Can I Read the Standard?

• The FA Sustainability Standard for Nursery and Greenhouse Operations (PDF) provides a comprehensive definition to help nursery and greenhouse operators achieve greater sustainability.
• The FA Sustainability Evaluation Tool for Nursery and Greenhouse Operations describes criteria and indicators to assess sustainability practices and outcomes. The Evaluation Tool has two purposes:

1. Growers may use the Evaluation Tool to self-assess current management practices and sustainability performance.
2. Third-party inspectors will use the Evaluation Tool to determine if an operation meets the requirements of the FA Sustainability Certification program.

Sustainability Certification for Nursery and Greenhouse Operations

Food Alliance certification for nursery and greenhouse operations provides a trusted and independent third-party audit process for certifying socially and environmentally responsible management practices. 

With certification, products grown and processed by these operations are licensed to use the Food Alliance Certified eco-label on qualified products. 

Pacific Northwest nursery and greenhouse operations may choose to have compliance verified with Salmon-Safe criteria at the time of inspection, providing the option to promote Salmon-Safe certification in addition to Food Alliance certification.

Learn more about FA Sustainability Certification for Nursery and Greenhouse Operations.