Flowers for Valentine's Day

Are you thinking of sending flowers for Valentine's Day this month? My partner was telling me about a French programme he watched about the import of cut flowers (in this case from a particular African country) which are grown and treated with highly risky pesticides that have been banned for decades and where said pesticides are allowed to flow into water sources in the country where the flowers are grown. Strict import regulations that apply to plants and food do not seem to apply in this case. This whole issue horrified me so I decided to do some digging.

This a problem occurring more broadly in several nations in the developing world where floriculture has become a thriving and big business- East Africa and Central America for example . Land clearance , destruction of wetlands , water use , pesticide use to preserve the perfect rose … this all sounds similar to the issues we are aware of in the food industry, except that food stuffs have strict controls over pesticide use.

Many of these blooms destined for Europe end up in the Netherlands where they are distributed for sale ( and where some tests - see article below - were carried out )

Interestingly the carbon footprint of transportation is less of an issue as heated greenhouse flowers perform worse ( maybe we are just not meant to have roses in February ! (unless heated by green energy)

So is the answer to ditch cut flowers (unless of course they are locally or seasonally grown ?)  Our dilemma is always an awareness that the impact on economies in poorer countries is huge.

If you do buy imported cut flowers it’s really worth looking at where your flowers come from and whether they have been subject to certification of ethical and environmental standards eg Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance

You could also consider who benefits from your purchase

Often people buy flowers at the supermarket, farmer’s market, online or from a local florist. Supermarkets may offer cheap prices, but keep in mind that this can squeeze producers and keep workers’ wages low. On the flip side, some supermarkets have their own environmental and labour standards.

Some large online flower retailers also work directly with organisations such as  Rainforest Alliance. If you buy a bouquet from a local florist or farmer’s market, it’s a good idea to ask about their supply chain.

Then there is the issue of waste! 

If you do buy from a local retailer, ask for less packaging, take your own vase or look for environmentally-friendly alternatives to florist foam. Planting flowers in your own garden can also be a lower-impact way to  enjoy flowers — plus, gardening can supports biodiversity

If you do buy flowers where you are concerned about the use of pesticides don’t compost them. Some of these pesticides are seriously toxic so put them in the black bin bags.