Valentines Roses

I am sorry, but if you are after a dozen red roses this Valentines day, I am not the florist for you. It’s not because of the price of red roses at this time of year (but yikes!), but rather how awful a bunch of 12 roses is ethically… I just can’t make peace with it, let me explain. 

There are only a few sources of roses at this time of year. The Netherlands is a supplier, but just like the UK, the weather isn’t warm enough to grow roses right now, so they grow in greenhouses creating tonnes of CO2. If they aren’t growing them, the roses that are being traded through their flower markets are imported from East Africa or Colombia so travelling a fair few air-miles. 

The floriculture industry is not a gleaming beacon of excellence for workers rights in some of these countries. Exploitation is rife, many farms are not looking after their workers with many stories of sexual harassment, giving insecure contracts and minimal rights and not paying sufficient wages for workers to afford living costs. 

To add to this the majority of these workers are women. I want to be part of a society that is able to lift women up, not put them in a tough position. This situation feels like it is continuing a history of inequalities. 

These farms also use huge amounts of pesticides, many of which are on the WHO pesticide lists. The workers are not trained to use these chemicals safely, have insufficient PPE and the chemical runoff can have impacts on the wider environment. In Kenya, the Maasai brought their cattle to drink at the freshwater Lake Naivasha for generations, but are now unable as the water is toxic for their animals. There are also impacts on fishing industries close to flower farms. 

Where many of the workers are women, they are suffering health implications themselves, including asthma, eye troubles, skin complaints and miscarriage. Then, their children can also suffer with birth defects and health issues as they grow up. 

Lastly, though I suspect not the last of the issues with the industry, is water supply. In Kenya and other African countries,  there is insufficient water supply for the irrigation of the flower farms. Each rose needs 10 litres of fresh water to reach full size - but there is water scarcity and a situation which is likely to get worse with climate change. The option many farms use is the open drip irrigation which is inefficient and wasteful and draws water away from communities who are truly in need when in a drought situation. 

Having said all of this, I want to give you that gorgeous thoughtful bouquet to enjoy! 

And, I wouldn’t mind enjoying a few flowers myself (it’s been a long January after all). 

So, all the above being said, I will be importing flowers this February,  but from farms that are doing good things for workers, women and who are trying to minimise their environmental impact. A bouquet from Roses + Riffraff this Valentines will include fair trade roses, imported but carefully sourced, British foliage and if the weather allows, British blooms too, in my effort to do the right thing. 

In case you are interested in further info:

• The carbon footprint of flowers - Flowers from the Farm

• Why Should You Ditch the Roses this Valentine’s Day? — BRIGHT | Ethical Lifestyle (brightzine.co)

• Valentine's Day ethics: how green is your red rose? | Environment | The Guardian

• Roses are dead … how to choose a more ethical and original bouquet this Valentine’s Day | Valentine's Day | The Guardian

• The environmental impact of our hunger for Valentine's roses | The Independent | The Independent