14 Feb 2019
Give some love to the planet this Valentine’s Day
A flower rush occurs every year as shoppers flock to florists or grab bundles of cut roses from grocery store shelves for Valentine’s Day. This year, look for the FAIRTRADE Mark and show some love for the Earth, as well.
Image © Ola Höiden
A recent study on the environmental impacts of cut roses found surprising results for flowers from Kenya, and thanks to Fairtrade Standards, certified flower farms are continually improving practices to reduce their impact.
Roses are the number one cut flower on the European market, making up an estimated 30 to 50 percent of the €20-25 billion retail value of cut flowers overall in Europe. The value of imported cut roses to the EU from developing countries reached €718 million in 2015. Many of these flowers originate on large-scale flower farms scattered across East Africa, primarily in Kenya (where approximately half of Europe’s imported roses originate), Tanzania and Ethiopia. The lingering perception is that the environmental impacts of flowers grown in Kenya are higher than those of flowers grown in the Netherlands, but previous studies showed that wasn’t the case.
“Studies in 2007 and 2009 demonstrated that flowers grown in Kenya and air-freighted to the UK had a smaller carbon footprint than their Dutch equivalents. Ten years on, we wanted to revisit the topic,” said Melanie Dürr, Fairtrade’s Global Product Manager for Flowers and Plants.
Fairtrade and the Migros-Genossenschafts Bund (MGB) in Switzerland commissioned a life-cycle analysis to understand the environmental impacts of cut roses from different origins destined for the Swiss market. The study looked at conventional and Fairtrade cut rose production in Kenya, and conventional and ecologically produced roses from the Netherlands, and to a lesser extent Fairtrade roses from Ecuador.
Researchers found that cut roses imported to the EU from Kenya generated 5.5 times lower greenhouse gas emissions and required 6.5 times less energy than their Dutch equivalents. Dutch growers outperformed the surveyed Kenyan flower farms on efficiency of water usage by 50 percent due to more advanced water recycling systems.
The reason for the considerable differences lie in the how greenhouses are heated – farms in Netherlands rely on natural gas, whereas farms in Kenya greatly benefit from year-round moderate temperatures, sunlight and more consistent rainfall. Even when accounting for the negative impacts from air-freight transport, roses grown in Kenya still logged significantly lower emissions and energy demand.
The study provides valuable insights that can help Fairtrade growers improve their environmental practices further, particularly in the areas of water management. (Review the full report and management response here.)
Flower farms in East Africa take on the challenge
Among the 69 Fairtrade certified flowers and plants operations, there are great examples of flower farms that have taken on the challenge to push their environmental performance further. Finlays and Oserian Flowers in Kenya are two Fairtrade certified flower producers that have dramatically reduced the impact of their operations, while simultaneously improving conditions for workers.
“We’re committed to environmental sustainability as it directly affects our workers’ livelihoods, our business sustainability, and the resilience of the communities where we operate,” said Jane Ndirangu, Environment, Health Safety & Sustainability Manager at Finlays, a Fairtrade certified flower farm in Kenya. “[Fairtrade’s] certification requirements have helped us justify environmental sustainability initiatives that help us continually improve.”
According to Finlays, their focus on sustainability has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in total energy usage and a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions between 2013 and 2017. Efforts include:
- Embracing hydro, solar and biogas energy to reduce the need for nonrenewable power;
- Installing monitors to measure fuel and energy usage and identify where further gains can be made;
- Collecting rainwater from greenhouse rooftops for irrigation;
- Growing nearly all of their roses hydroponically with an automated drip feeding system to ensure precision in water and fertilizer use;
- Treating and reusing water from the drip feeding process.
“We will continue to innovate while adopting measures that enhance our environmental resilience. Our next steps are to improve further on biological pest controls, enhance solar energy and rollout of energy monitoring systems to cover all operations,” Ndirangu added.
Oserian Flowers is Kenya’s largest grower and exporter of roses. The company was recently recognized in three categories at the 2018 Federation of Kenya Employers awards ceremony, including innovation and productivity, responsible business conduct, and inclusivity and diversity categories.
Similar to Finlays, Oserian utilizes hydroponic technology to reduce fertilizer and water consumption. They have embraced integrated pest management techniques that are more effective and reduce demand for pesticides. In addition, Oserian runs the world’s largest geothermal greenhouse heating project to reduce carbon emissions and control climate. The company has a target to further reduce carbon emissions and be carbon ‘sub-zero’ by 2020.
A more sustainable Valentine’s Day
Fairtrade recognizes the impact that shoppers can have on the environment, especially on global holidays like Valentine’s Day.
That’s why Fairtrade first began certifying flowers in 2001, to address labor rights and environmental challenges in the industry and offer consumers responsibly produced flowers. If you’re buying roses this Valentine’s Day, consider where they came from and give some love to the planet by choosing a sustainable option.