It is such an exuberant pleasure to receive a bunch of flowers, isn't it? That moment when a van arrives at the door and some lad asks you to sign for a huge bouquet, and all the time you are wondering whose name will be on the card; or at an event when your work has been honoured and someone presents you with a bouquet in thanks; or a lover comes home or arrives for a date, flowers in his/her hands. They are still so much an accepted symbol of appreciation, of love, of honour in our culture.
Yet most often those flowers, however beautiful the sentiment they are given with, however radiant they appear to be, have been grown to the detriment of so much. A large proportion of the cut flowers sold in Britain are grown using intensive agriculture, with great quantities of chemical toxins, in lesser developed nations such as areas of East Africa and South America, using very cheap labour.
Workers in such sweatshop conditions are exposed to such chemicals experience a range of problems, from skin legions to chronic headaches and asthma, eye infections and fainting. Pregnant women exposed to the toxins suffer a high rate of miscarriages and premature births. Most workers are on temporary seasonal contracts, with no security or unions. (Source : War on Want)
The Organic Consumers Association has some more information about the problems on this page.
Alternatives?
Fairtrade flowers are one way of dealing with the issue:
Arena Flowers http://www.arenaflowers.com is a UK flower delivery company that send out flowers anywhere in the UK. Not only do they say they purchase all their flowers direct from the growers, which means the flowers are up to 4 days fresher than most flowers sold in the UK, but they are also one of the first florists in the UK to offer ethically sourced Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) products to ensure ethical standards are met. Order before 3pm for free same day flower delivery within the M25 and next day delivery across the UK.
Organic flowers can be bought through the following companies:
UK : The Organic Flower Company http://www.tofc.co.uk
USA : Organic Bouquet http://www.organicbouquet.com
Picking wildflowers is not a sound alternative. Let them be where they grow, for the enjoyment of all creatures.
Growing your own, on your allotment or in your garden, is a beautiful and very Druidic way of surmounting the problem for those determined to offer flowers to those they love on important days of the year. It takes planning, but why not!
