We grow the best roses with the least impact on the environment

INTRODUCES

GREEN NAOMI ROSES*

EVERLASTING WORLD

We are proud to introduce the most eco-friendly rose, the Red Naomi FUTURA. According to the new European calculation method, this rose has the lowest carbon footprint of all roses available on the European market. The FUTURA label is Porta Nova’s greenest scenario, based on 2024 data and 100% wind energy.

EVERLASTING QUALITY

Having completed the installation of the Climators, private power line, and LED lighting, we now have the option to grow perfect roses without using (fossil) gas and can choose 100% wind energy as our source. At a small premium we now offer you the choice to buy our top quality Red Naomi assortment with the lowest footprint possible.

EVERLASTING CARE

Growing with the lowest CO₂ footprint is great, but sustainability is about more than just carbon. Water usage and pest control are other key factors to consider.

We collect rainwater from our roofs and those of our neighbors to irrigate our plants. Our closed-loop fertilization systems ensure 100% reuse of excess water, with no spillage or waste, preventing any deposits in the soil.

We aim for 100% biological pest control, using natural predators to manage harmful insects. Additionally, we even deploy robots with UV-C light that patrol our greenhouses to effectively target other pests.

With the help of footprinting tools based on the Flori-PEFCR, we are conducting a life cycle assessment. We’re confident we’ll perform well and identify areas for further improvement.

OUR COMMITMENT REMAINS: TO GROW THE WORLD’S BEST RED ROSES WITH MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

OUR RED NAOMI ROSES

Porta Nova Red Naomi roses have a perfect red color that features a smooth, velvety shade. She is the only red rose with an extremely large flower-head and a subtle scent, so lovely that it will pamper your senses. She has it all: long stems, outstanding transportability, superb vaselife. They are the ultimate floral gift if you want to impress someone or treat yourself!

At Porta Nova we strive to grow the best red roses in the world with a minimal impact on the environment.

We believe that many small changes can lead to big results. Constant improvement has enabled us to grow the world’s most beautiful Red Naomi roses.

To ensure a good future for our company and kids, we know we need a healthy planet Earth too. That’s why, besides improving the quality of our roses, we’re also focused on growing them in a sustainable way. It’s not just about the flowers; it’s about taking care of the planet too.

Over the past 8 years, we’ve invested significantly in various techniques to cultivate sustainably. Our goal is to grow Red Naomi roses with the lowest CO₂ footprint in the industry. Central to our approach is to grow using green wind energy. And since November 2023 we are able to switch 100% to wind energy, lowering our carbon footprint by 95%!

How did we accomplish that?

The Climator

We began by installing our Climator System, which enables us to capture heat from the summer and store it as warm water 100 meters underground. In winter we use this same hot water again to heat our greenhouse in a super-efficient and sustainable way.

Green energy

In 2018 we invested in a 6 km private power line connecting us to the nearest power station. This allows us to purchase electricity instead of relying on gas for heating and lighting. The added benefit is the flexibility to choose daily between gas and electricity. Additionally, the good news is that we have the option to select 100% green (wind) energy.

LED lighting

Our next significant step involved transitioning to LED lighting for more optimal light levels and increased energy savings. We started installing LEDs in 2022, completing the full transition by 2023. With the specialized LED light and the additional heat from the Climators, we now save 40% on both lighting costs and energy consumption.

Are you and your clients ready for Porta Nova’s FUTURA Red Naomi roses?

The additional cost per stem to use wind energy is EUR 0.02 at the current green energy prices. For this minimal extra, you receive the absolute best quality Red Naomi roses with the lowest environmental footprint compared to any roses grown worldwide and sold in the European market.

When you’re growing over 50 million roses, EUR 0.02 per stem becomes a significant sum. It accumulates to an extent that shapes our existence as a company. We would really like to grow all our roses with 100% wind energy but cannot do that without you.

We have made all the necessary investments. The question is no longer how sustainable we can grow, but whether you are willing to pay the small difference in price for a better world.

it is our mission to introduce a more environmentally friendly rose to the consumer at a small premium. Shall we find a way together to avoid the compounding effect of margin escalation?

Measuring footprint and making honest comparisons and choices.

So, what roses to buy? Judging from the footprint of roses, this is a complicated question since there are many ways to look at things. What is best?

Is it better to buy from us, grown in the Netherlands close to the end market but from a greenhouse requiring heating and light? Or is it more sustainable to purchase from Africa or Ecuador, where the sun is free, but it means roses must be flown in by plane or you receive old roses that took a month to travel by boat? Different perspectives, different choices.

Flori-PEFCR

Until recently, nobody really knew how to make the correct calculation and comparison. That’s why it is great that the European Union signed the Flori-PEFCR standard on February 14, 2024.

Over the past few years, the Flori-PEFCR has been developed, setting a new standard for calculating the environmental impact of a cut flower or potted plant. The final version has now been signed by the European Commission (learn more).

“PEFCR” stands for Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules. It is a set of guidelines for conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) of products.

Flori Footprint Tool

Early 2024, we implemented the Flori Footprint Tool developed by environmental consultancy company Greenhouse Sustainability. This tool provides us with deeper insights into our environmental impact by examining 16 impact categories, such as water usage, land use, and toxicity.

Porta Nova is the first flower grower who can claim to have calculated their footprint based on the Flori-PEFCR regulations.

How do we compare to import from Ecuador or Kenya?

We currently lack specific data on the CO₂ footprint of growing high-quality long-stem roses in Ecuador or Kenya, as no grower there has utilized the latest footprinting tools to publicly share their data. However, we do know that roses from Ecuador or Kenya must be transported by air to be sold on the European markets, and we are certain that air transport is the largest contributor to the footprint of these imported roses.

To assess this impact, we asked the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) specialists at Greenhouse Sustainability to calculate the transportation footprint for a single rose (50, 70, or 80 cm) from an average Kenyan or Ecuadorian grower the Dutch market. The results are shown in the graph and can be explored further in the downloadable document. (*this information was updated in January 2025 with latest EF database.)

These figures are of course, averages, as each grower may pack differently, and the weights of roses vary. However, the footprint range clearly shows that, for example, the transport carbon footprint for Ecuadorian roses of 80 cm can be 10 times our total footprint.

From Kenya, there is a more sustainable transport option: sea transport. Although this method involves roses that are 30 days older than our fresh-cut roses, it presents a lower footprint alternative. Sea transport has posed challenges, such as major disruptions caused by geo-political conflicts. Timing-wise, it is also challenging for trade to plan that far ahead and adapt to fluctuating supply and demand.

Validation and transparency

At Porta Nova, we work hard to calculate our ecological footprint and our greenest scenario as accurately and transparently as possible. Of course, you can trust us to do this honestly, but we believe it’s important to have our figures independently verified and audited. For this purpose, contracted ValidIT to validate our data and calculations.

On March 10, 2025, Porta Nova received the FloriPEFCR validation certificate from ValidIT. This marks the successful validation process of the FloriPEFCR data. The validation ensures that Porta Nova’s data is complete and transparent.

All our grades are available as FUTURA. How does that work?

Buying green wind energy as a company works similarly to how you might do it at home. It’s the same energy coming through the same power grid, but you specify to your supplier the desired energy source. This way, you can choose “grey” energy, mixed sources or various types of sustainable energy. Wind energy is the most sustainable, albeit at a premium.

Our goal is to switch to 100% wind energy in the coming years, but we can only achieve this together.

This is why we are offering all our roses under a FUTURA scenario. You can choose any of our sub-brands (like Supra, Unica or even A2) as FUTURA. Every month, we will purchase the corresponding percentage of wind energy to sustainably grow these roses based on Futura orders. This process will be audited by an external company to ensure we uphold our claim to grow these roses with the lowest carbon footprint possible.

*Switching to wind energy involves additional costs. For example, by not using our gas turbine CHP, we need to purchase additional CO2, which we would normally obtain as a by-product.

Future improvements

Looking ahead, having the lowest CO₂ footprint is fantastic, but there’s more to consider than just CO₂. That’s why this year, we’re diving into a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) across 16 categories. We’re confident we’ll fare well in many areas, given our ongoing efforts.