By 
“Truths and roses have thorns.”
One of the things that can say “I love you” to someone we care about is a dozen red roses. Through the fragrance, color, texture, and meaning of roses, we try to make our beautiful message loud and clear. It’s one of those things that speaks to what we’re thinking. However, did it ever cross your mind where those dozen red roses came from?
Those roses that carry our thoughts travel thousands of miles and are worth $100 billion worldwide. According to Fairtrade Canada, the Netherlands is the largest exporter with 55% of the trade, followed by Colombia with 18% and Ecuador and Kenya with 15%. After long journeys, these roses arrive at their destination and are converted into refrigerated products that are distributed to wholesalers and stores before reaching the hands of whom we deliver them to.
But what about the hands of the one who cut them off first? According to a study by the International Fund for Labor Rights, in Ecuador and Colombia 66% of flower growers, mostly women, have health problems such as respiratory conditions, skin rashes and eye infections due to toxic substances. 200 kilos of pesticides are used per hectare, which is double what is used in the Netherlands and 75 times what is used in conventional agriculture in developed countries. Unfortunately, the flower industry is notorious for poor working conditions, low wages, overcrowded housing, and serious problems related to worker exposure to fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and dangerous chemicals.
And what about the soil in which they grew? Research from the University of Cranfield in Great Britain indicates that the intensive cultivation of roses can have a negative environmental impact. For example, in the carbon footprint of rose farms in the Netherlands and Kenya in 2016, it is visible that 12,000 Kenyan roses emitted 6,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide and the Netherlands generated 35,000 kilograms for the same amount. of roses That is to say, the production of those Kenyan roses is equivalent to driving a car for 10 days without stopping. As for the Dutch roses, the production is equivalent to the energy used by a common household for 2 and a half years.
Now don’t wither. The green and sustainable movements in the floral industry are growing. Consciousness is blossoming. Fairtrade Canada’s findings show that there is a visible increase in consumer demand to find out where the product they buy comes from and whether it is ethically sourced. Retailers are also doing their part to make fair trade flowers flourish, where produce has been certified to offer a better deal to the farmers and workers involved.
“Don’t you want to come to the garden? I would like my roses to see you.”