MPS-GAP als license to sell

Fikona Nursery is a forerunner. In 1995, this family business was one of the first in Belgium to obtain the MPS-ABC certificate. Other certificates soon followed, including MPS-GAP, Sedex & GRASP. Why did they choose this path? “Because it keeps us sharp and up-to-date. Besides, without MPS-GAP you won’t get anywhere,” says Yorick Peeters of Fikona. He shares this opinion with Raymond Scheepens, Area Manager at MPS. A conversation with both about the need for certification.

Yorick: “Our company was founded in 1992. My parents Nancy and Koen soon realised: if you want to play on the international market, you’d better have the right certificates in your pocket. Some customers, such as IKEA, also explicitly asked for them. In 1995 we were one of the first Belgian companies to obtain MPS-ABC. And MPS-GAP followed a few years later.” followed. Thanks to the close ties with MPS, this always went smoothly. If something blocks in the computer system, for example, we can immediately count on MPS support. One phone call is all it takes. I always say: ‘if our suppliers from Costa Rica can be certified without any difficulty, surely we can too? In short, it is really not difficult to get started with MPSGAP.

How much time or energy does it cost you as a grower?

Yorick: “If you keep your registration in order throughout the year, you can quickly achieve MPSABC. MPS-GAP requires a bit more time. In the first year you spend twenty to forty hours on it. After that, all you have to do is maintain your registration. But you have to do that anyway. I see many advantages, because this detailed registration process makes it easier to see where we can optimise things. Ultimately, you save time because you work more efficiently. Moreover, the quality of production improves.

If I could mention one point of interest? MPS is not yet recognised in Belgium, which means you get audited both by the Belgian government and by MPS. But I have heard that work is being done on this and that this will soon be off the table, because it brings

Yorick: “To be honest, not that much has changed compared to how we worked before certification. Even then, we recorded a lot. Biggest difference? The way. We used to keep track of everything in notebooks. Since MPS-ABC and later GAP, we enter everything digitally. Recording is a necessity anyway. After all, it allows you to recognise trends, patterns and see where you can improve more quickly.

After MPS-ABC and GAP, other certificates such as MPS Socially Qualified, GRASP and MPS Quality soon

Raymond: “True, we are making full efforts to establish a certification body for Belgium with a combi plan that will make duplicate audits a thing of the past.”

What does the guidance from MPS consist of?

Raymond: “MPS operates in more than 50 countries. There is a coordinator in every region who speaks the language and knows the sector inside out. This person is always the first point of contact and provides the customer with tailor-made guidance. We also have a