THE DARK SIDE OF THE FLOWER INDUSTRY

At the age of 21 I birthed my Floral Design business.

I was immediately uncomfortable with purchasing flowers from the market, not knowing where they came from or how they were grown.

I started researching the major flower hubs of the world only to find what we find in many large industries - poorly treated and paid workers, chemical poisonings of people and land, soil degradation, displacement of local communities and water hoarding that led to water scarcity for local communities. 

The dark side of the flower industry prioritizes profits over people and the environment. 

Your mom gets a mothers day bouquet -

And another woman has a miscarriage from the chemical toxicity of working on these flower farms or living nearby. 

You carry a beautiful wedding bouquet -

And another person is displaced from their home to create more farmland. 

You buy a bouquet for your kitchen table -

And another person’s drinking water is used up or contaminated by the flower farms. 

While the flower industry has created economic growth in many countries - it has done so at the expense of people’s health and the environment's health - therefore the long term effects of the industry must be looked at. 

For large scale flower farm operations - in places like Columbia, which grows a large percentage of the United States cut flowers - there is a certification called VeriFlora. This is a certification that requires environmental sustainability, social and economic sustainability, and product integrity. 

Whole Foods is one of the US Grocery stores that carries mostly VeriFlora certified flowers.

I’ve not only worked as a Floral Designer in the wedding industry, buying flowers from the wholesale market that have been shipped here from around the world, but also behind the scenes in a warehouse that provides flowers to other local grocery stores like Whole Foods. And while some of the flowers heading to these stores are VeriFlora certified, many are not. 

A change, like all changes to the capitalist system, will require the consumers, the store owners, the wholesalers and the farm owners to value people and the environment over access to cheap flowers. 

Many of us sit in the consumer position on this one. 

I know the beauty and effect flowers have on spaces and hearts - but I’d rather cut a branch from my yard and put it in a vase than support these systems - which is how Yavanna became a Wild Foraged company in the first place. 

When I do use fresh flowers I am committed to supporting local farms or discovering what flowers are VeriFlora certified (there are other certifications as well). 

Why not? 

It might mean you pay a couple extra dollars for a bouquet or arrangement - but aren’t people's lives and the earth worth that?