Dear grower,

Monday was the shortest day of the year. This year I was extra aware of this. 2020 was a turning point for the world, the horticultural sector and for MPS itself.

The sector has had a very turbulent year. There were setbacks and surprises. I hope that wherever you are located, you have found the resilience to close the year positively and step into 2021 with calm and confidence.

MPS, meanwhile, is modernising its digital services. A new record-keeping environment was introduced for the MPS-ABC certification standard. It sometimes takes some getting used to, but we will continue to improve the tools so that we can make record-keeping easier and continue to help companies improve their business operations and be transparent to customers.

It was also a year of administrative change. I am happy and grateful to be able to lead the organisation for the coming years. We put the grower first and will strive for maximum transparency and impact. Driving change is a balancing act. We look forward to the dialogue and your feedback because we have to do it together.

Last but not least: MPS celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020! We would have liked to celebrate this with you, but unfortunately this was not possible due to the corona crisis. You can read the story of 25 years of MPS on our webpage: from the first MPS-ABC grower to where we are today. We are also proud to offer auditing services through MPS-ECAS since many years, both for floriculture and fruits & vegetables.

If we look ahead for another 25 years, we are in 2045: well past the 2030 target year of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and close to 2050, the year in which the world should be climate neutral. MPS will do everything it can to assist the entire chain, from growers to buyers, in that transition.

On behalf of the entire MPS Group team, Merry Christmas and a healthy and successful New Year!