WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Commercial flower growers want to tap into the growing market of consumers looking for sustainable products, but those growers aren't willing to go through a difficult and costly certification to do it at this time.
Purdue University's Roberto Lopez, an assistant professor of horticulture; Jennifer Dennis, an associate professor of horticulture; and Maria Marshall, an associate professor of agricultural economics, found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. growers aren't interested in spending the time and money to become certified as sustainable. One-third hadn't even heard of certification organizations such as Veriflora and MPS, which can charge thousands of dollars for certifications.
"It can be expensive, and you have to go through rigorous screenings and paperwork. It takes a lot of time," Lopez said. "Most growers didn't think it was worth it."
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