eco worrier
“Is it ethical to send my
friend a bunch of flowers?”
Eco Living Editor Ellen Tout examines the journey from
field to vase and asks – are cut flowers sustainable?
W
ho doesn’t love to receive a
bouquet of flowers? But there
are a lot of ethical question marks:
Where are the flowers grown, and how? What
transportation and packaging are used? Are
the growers treated fairly?
For centuries, the Netherlands has been at the
heart of the global flower trade. Around 90 per
cent of cut flowers in the UK are imported, and
80 per cent arrive via the Netherlands – think
of it as the centre of fresh blooms – it produces
flowers and is also a stopover for those grown in
countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, Malaysia,
China and Ethiopia. Kenya, for example,
produces a third of all roses sold in Europe.*
Thorny issue
Transporting flowers, usually in aircraft, is a
time-sensitive job. Refrigerated containers are
used and, for every day of travel, flowers lose
ILLUSTRATION: NAOMI WILKINSON. *BBC FUTURE
15 per cent of their value, so emissions mount
swiftly. Another concern is the growing, which
usually means the use of pesticides that harm
ecosystems. One green benefit of flowers grown
in hotter countries, however, is that less artificial
heat and light is needed, so the carbon footprint
of the farm is lower than many in the UK.
For planet-saving advice, email your questions about sustainable living to
ellen.tout@psychologies.co.uk with ‘Eco worrier’ in the subject line
Another plus is that flower farms provide
employment. In Kenya, around four per cent of
the population work in the industry. The majority
of workers are women and days are often long and
physically demanding, so what about Fairtrade?
Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador and Tanzania account
for 98 per cent of Fairtrade flower production, but
only two per cent of flowers sold in the UK are Kind roots
certified. If you can, choose certified Fairtrade The Present Tree sells
organically grown trees,
and support this developing market that gives delivered to your loved
back to workers and communities. one’s door. The pot is
compostable, packaging
One option is to buy from independent UK is sustainable, and every
growers, such as The Great British Florist and stage of the growing
process is ethically minded.
Flowers From The Farm. Or why not send
● Cherry tree, £35,
wildflower seeds or bulbs, so your recipient can
thepresenttree.com
enjoy your gift year after year? You could even
grow the flowers yourself, or deliver a cutting
propagated from a plant you have at home.
Like many areas of green living, when you dig
into the facts and practices behind the flowers
we buy, all options have sustainability pros and
drawbacks. I suggest thinking about the values
that are most important to you and your
recipient, and base your decision around
Good on paper
Most gift wrap contains
those to send your message of love. plastic so can’t be recycled,
For more, go to psychologies.co.uk/real-eco. Follow
but independent brand
Curlicue sells low-impact
@Ellen_Tout for green tips and information recyclable paper that
uses vegetable-based ink.
● Wrapping paper, from
£1.95, curlicue.uk
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