SCS Launches VeriFlora Preferred Retailer Program

Emeryville, CA The VeriFlora Preferred Retailer Program is now available to
florists and garden center retailers interested in promoting the sale of
VeriFlora Certified Sustainably Grown cut flowers, greens, and potted plants. Stores will be listed and linked on the VeriFlora website for easy customer access.

VeriFlora certification has gained widespread recognition in the cut flower,
potted plant and material input sectors. More than 1 billion stems of cut flowers, and 300 million potted plants, have been certified by the program administrator, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), since 2005. VeriFlora certified products meet rigorous standards that protect the environment, support the needs of farmers, farm workers, their families and the community, and promote the highest delivered product quality throughout the distribution chain.

Dr. Michael Keyes, VeriFlora Certification Manager at SCS, said, The VeriFlora
Preferred Retail Program provides a new opportunity for retailers who want to proactively demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, and differentiate their floral business or garden center.

Under the program, SCS trains retail staff about the environmental, social and
quality requirements that must be met by growers and handlers of certified flowers and plants. Once this training is completed, stores are advised in the implementation of quality control measures such as cold-chain management, guided in proper labeling, supplied with merchandising materials, and listed on the VeriFlora website. With hundreds of varieties of certified flowers and ornamental plants, participating retailers have many choices.

Quality is one of the defining cornerstones of the VeriFlora program. Consumers
seeking products that have been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner still want to be sure that these products meet their quality expectations. By participating in the
Preferred Retail Program, florists and garden centers can help to close the loop on quality.

About Scientific Certification Systems and VeriFlora

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) is an independent certifier of environmental, health and safety claims. For more than two decades, SCS has developed internationally recognized
standards and certification programs aimed at spurring the highest level of environmental
improvements, social accountability and product performance. VeriFlora is a sustainability
certification and eco-labeling program administered by SCS and accredited under ISO/IEC Guide 65, the international standard for third-party product certifiers. News stories about VeriFlora can be found on the SCS website.

For more information: www.SCScertified.com and www.VeriFlora.com

Retailers please contact: Jennifer Watters at 510-452-8054;
jwatters@scscertified.com

Source:

Scientific Certification Systems