By Traci Waller
University Wire
Thinking about the origin of a dozen red roses ““ the
quintessential no-brainer Valentine’s Day gift ““ may
put a damper on the holiday lovefest.
When the flowers arrive, a girl probably doesn’t want to
imagine their birth in Ecuador, where flowers are reared by masses
of underpaid workers who suffer from immediate and long-term health
problems stemming from pesticide exposure.
Many consumers aren’t aware of their flowers’
origins. And some consumers who are aware might write off flower
workers’ rights campaigns as part of a trendy fad encouraging
Americans to spend more money on “environmentally
friendly” goods.
Nora Ferm, the program coordinator for the International Labor
Rights Fund, disagrees. Ferm has been in Ecuador since September to
work with labor groups to campaign for workers’ rights,
especially flower workers.
“Many flower workers in Colombia and Ecuador have daily
contact with toxic chemicals but are not given sufficient
protective equipment,” she said.
Ferm said Colombia and Ecuador export the most cut flowers, and
workers there often don’t have access to items such as
waterproof covering for their clothes, gloves, rubber boots and
face masks. As a result, she said, the workers suffer from a
variety of health conditions, such as skin rashes, asthma,
miscarriages, respiratory problems and neurological problems. And
there’s always a chance that when the flowers arrive at their
final destination, the recipient might bury her nose into the
bouquet and pick up traces of insecticide residue, Margaret Pullman
said in a presentation for the North American Pesticide Action
Network last June. There aren’t many statistics to back that
up because flowers aren’t food and therefore aren’t
tested for pesticides very often, the presentation outlined. But
that doesn’t mean sending roses has to be harmful for the
recipient or the grower. Flowers are going organic.
“Organic flower-growing is very simple,” said Jim
Seals, consultant for the Northwest Arkansas Rose Society.
“You don’t spray insecticides, and you use organic
fertilizer.”
When members of the society do use inorganic materials to grow
roses, they protect themselves with gloves and ventilators ““
luxuries, Ferm said, that are unavailable to many South American
workers.
“I would encourage U.S. consumers to send organic flowers
to their loved ones on Valentine’s Day because the workers
who grew and harvested those flowers are much less likely to have
serious health problems, and the surrounding environment is also
less likely to be seriously contaminated,” Ferm said.
But the Arkansas organic flower market doesn’t provide for
Valentine’s Day roses. Local organic growers either have to
grow flowers in a greenhouse or in compliance with the weather, and
organic flowers are usually available at the Farmers’ Markets
from April to August. Area florists don’t have easy access to
organic flowers during winter.
Geneva Curin, a Bentonville florist, said she’d like to
sell organic flowers at her shop, Bloom, but it’s not
possible.
“The only way to get organic flowers is when people sell
them in gourmet grocery stores,” Curin said. “Those are
the only organic flowers that I’ve ever heard of. In the
summertime it’s possible that there are organic flowers sold
at the Farmer’s Market.”
But Valentine’s Day can’t wait for summer; the
holiday is one of the flower industry’s most lucrative days
of the year. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2004, flower
sales topped $400 million ““ $40 million of that was spent on
roses alone.
Aside from eschewing roses as Valentine’s Day gifts,
consumers do have the Internet. A quick search for organic red
roses turns up at least two sites that specialize in organic
flowers. One of those two, OrganicBouqet.com, offers a dozen
certified organic red roses for $39.95 plus shipping. The other,
Akagourmet.com, will ship a dozen red roses for $39.99 plus
shipping costs. Consumers can also let local flower retailers know
they want organic blooms, Ferm said. Going organic for the holiday
might take more effort, but to some consumers it’s worth the
trouble.
Waller is a student at the University of Arkansas at
Fayetteville.