The MPS-ABC certification standard has been updated. The new version (v16.3) has been ratified by the MPS Board and will come into effect on 1 January 2026. Although some changes have been made to a number of criteria in this version, in general this does not mean that the requirements have been tightened up.
Below please find a list of the main changes in this new version of the standard.
Crop protection standards changed from 3 to 1 (already active)
The number of standards for crop protection has been changed from three to one. The reason for doing so is to remove the incentive that existed to use amber and red products in some cases instead of green ones. In addition, the use of green products has increased in recent years. This is partly because amber and red substances are increasingly being banned, but also because more and more new products contain green active substances.
Starter status (already active)
From now on, growers starting out with MPS-ABC who keep usage records on time will be awarded S-status (Starter status). This is in place of the NQ (Non-Qualified) status that was previously assigned to growers who had not been logging their usage data long enough to receive an MPS-A+, -A, -B or -C qualification. The new status has been introduced to meet the demand from the market to be able to distinguish new participants who are on the way towards a qualification from growers with NQ status.
S-status will be awarded to growers starting out with MPS-ABC who meet the following criteria:
- They have been keeping usage records for a full (qualified) MPS quarter (and all periods from the date they joined MPS-ABC).
- They have been keeping usage records for a maximum of 18 periods from the date they joined MPS-ABC.
Verification audit after initial audit discontinued
There are several forms of audits within MPS-ABC. Growers are audited and sampled at least once every three years. The aim of the initial audit is to check whether the grower is keeping records correctly and understands the MPS-ABC system. At present, if the grower’s score drops by ten or more points during either the initial or regular audit, a verification audit is conducted at the participant’s expense within 24 weeks. In version 16.3, the initial audit is viewed as a learning and review opportunity, so there will be no further verification audits based on the results of the initial audit.
Foraging
Under the MPS-ABC certification standard, foraging is eligible for certification subject to certain additional conditions. This includes mass balance record-keeping and additional contracts with land owners that permit foraging. Usage is logged as zero as there is virtually no human input of resources involved in growing these products. As a result, foraging is exempt from the requirement to have an IPM plan. This means that the value of the core of the MPS-ABC standard is very limited. In light of the above, and given that the greatest risks in foraging are not addressed by the MPS-ABC standard, foraging is now removed from this standard.
BI score discontinued
The set-up and consequences of the Reliability Index (RI) were in the trial stages up to Q3 of 2024. This means that the level of the RI score had no consequences for the participant. We have evaluated whether this set-up gives an accurate picture of the participant’s reliability and whether the consequences do justice to this.
The test phase of the RI score has been completed, and it has been decided that the BI score in its current form will not form part of the MPS-ABC standard. On the advice of and in consultation with the Council of Experts, the MPS-ABC sampling method has been rewritten in order to improve risk-based sampling.
Possibility of additional audit
In recent years, MPS has repeatedly received information about MPS-ABC participants that could compromise both the credibility and integrity of MPS and MPS-ABC. Up to now it has not been possible to use this information to have MPS-ECAS conduct an additional MPS-ABC audit. This possibility has now been added to the method and ground rules for company audits.
The new version and associated MPS-ABC documents (v16.3) are now available on our website.
Over 30 years ago, my journey at MPS began after I saw an advertisement in the newspaper. After the birth of my daughter, I was looking to return to work and joined the data entry department. At the time, all data was still entered manually from paper forms. Since then, I have seen the organisation grow and change, and I have grown along with it.Today, I work in the Service & Support department. No two days are the same: one day I help a customer with questions about record-keeping, the next I help them understand requirements from the auction or the UO. It is precisely this variety and the personal contact with customers that make my work interesting every day.
In 2008, I joined MPS through a recruitment agency as a secretary. I then held various positions within MPS and MPS-ECAS, including roles in the Service & Support team and as a planner. In 2018, I left the organisation for a while, but in 2023 I returned to MPS-ECAS as a back-office employee. The people are simply too much fun and the world of ornamental horticulture is so innovative that it kept drawing me back. Shortly afterwards, I started working at MPS as Coordinator Netherlands.
During the final year of my Environmental Sciences degree, I joined MPS for an internship. The internship worked out so well for both sides that I was able to stay afterwards. It felt like a natural next step, because I immediately felt at home here and was given the opportunity to continue developing myself.My work is very varied. I work on different projects and products, carry out research and analyses and contribute to practical solutions. I also manage various systems, support customers with complex technical questions and work with external parties. It is precisely this combination that makes my work interesting and ensures that no two weeks are the same.
I first joined MPS through a friend who worked in MPS’s student team. I continued working here while studying Commercial Economics, and at the end of my studies, in 2004, MPS asked if I wanted to join the organisation permanently. It seemed like a great opportunity, and more than twenty years later, I am still here.No two days are the same, and that is exactly what makes my work so enjoyable. A large part of my week consists of project meetings and translating needs from within the organisation into practical solutions. Thursday afternoon is a regular fixture, which I set aside with a colleague to make MPS 1% better every week. For example, we experiment with AI, build prototypes, improve processes or develop new ideas. The goal is always to work smarter and create more value for colleagues, customers and the organisation.