Vita Farms Gets MPS A+ Certification

Chris Beytes

Vita Farms, ForemostCo Inc.’s production facility in Guatemala, has achieved an A+ rating in the MPS-ABC registration system, showing its “complete dedication to sustainable production,” as their press release states. It’s a pretty good achievement, as A+ is the highest level MPS offers in its environmental certification. Nurseries have to score at least 90 out of 110 possible points.

Vita Farms is a 50-acre nursery (with an additional 185-acre expansion underway) that used to be Mayacrops’ Villa Canales Farm, with which ForemostCo had a longstanding relationship. In 2010, the farm was destroyed by the combined effects of the eruption of the Pacaya volcano and (the very next day!) Tropical Storm Agnes. The owner decided not to rebuild. Enter ForemostCo, which bought the farm and rebuilt it, giving birth to Vita Farms. Today, they ship 200 million cuttings in more than 500 varieties of foliage, succulents, groundcovers and perennials to the U.S., Canada and Europe.

“Social responsibility and sustainable production has always been a guiding principle at Vita Farms,” said Luis Pacheco, General Manager of Vita. “Obtaining MPS certification was a natural step forward towards lowering our burden on the environment, and assures that we are in compliance with market requirements.” GT