Expanding the global reach of effective third-party accreditation for the sustainable floral industry, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Colombian Flowers Exporters (Asocolflores).
ANSI is coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system and is a globally recognized accreditation body. Asocolflores is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of Colombian flower growers and exporters.
Colombia is the top provider of cut flowers to the United States, and is the second-largest flower exporter in the world. With increasing interest in sustainable and environmental practices, the industry will benefit from the further layer of oversight that accreditation provides by assuring that certification bodies adhere to international standards.
Under the terms of the MoU, ANSI will accredit certification bodies (CBs) against:
The international standard, ISO/IEC 17065, Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services, and
Florverde, a Colombian flower certification scheme that defines certification requirements for flower growers against an agricultural responsibility standard, sustainability and environmental practices, and adherence to national regulations.
Additionally, because ANSI is a signatory to the International Accreditation Forum Multilateral Recognition Arrangements (MLA) for the accreditation of product certification bodies, an ANSI-accredited certification body enjoys worldwide recognition, reducing the need for duplicative credentials for different markets.
"Accreditation by ANSI creates a valuable attribute for certification bodies," said Reinaldo Figueiredo, ANSI senior program director for product and process accreditation. "We are proud that Asocolflores has recognized this value and are pleased to partner on this important program."
ANSI's accreditation program successfully meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, which represents the highest internationally accepted practices for accreditation bodies. The Institute's portfolio of accreditation services includes programs for all types of certification and verification bodies, including those for products, personnel, and greenhouse gas emissions as well as standards developers.
For more information, contact Reinaldo Figueiredo, ANSI senior director, product certification accreditation ([email protected]), or Nikki Jackson ([email protected]; 202-331-3623), ANSI Senior Program Manager for ANSI's product certification accreditation or visit ANSI's accreditation website.