Flowers for Valentine's Day generate a carbon
footprint
Our pursuit of goodwill and
affection towards humanity through the giving of cut flowers is hurting the Mother
Nature
The problem is that our pursuit
of goodwill and affection towards humanity through the giving of cut flowers is
hurting the number one lady in all of our lives: Mother Nature.
If those 217,500 bouquets were
each wrapped in 75cm of plastic cellophane, that adds up to more than 163km of
plastic wrapping used in a two-week period – just for roses, just in Australia.
So this Valentine’s Day, let’s
consider making smarter, more sustainable flower purchases.
PETAL POWER
In Australia alone, there are
more than 900 flower farms intensively cultivating 4,470 ha in order to supply
almost 2,000 florists. However, the majority of cut flowers sold in Australia
actually originate overseas, with imports from Ecuador alone valued at A$1.9
million (US$1.5 million) in 2015.
If you’re asking yourself “why
are delicate flowers shipped halfway around the world?” that is a great
question. Countries near the Equator, like Ecuador, benefit from good growing
conditions, including 12 hours of daylight all year round. In these regions,
the contribution of the flower industry to the economy of small or less
developed countries is often significant.
In eastern Africa, for example,
flowers account for more than 10 per cent of total exports, second only to tea.
Lower wages in countries like Ecuador and Kenya also contribute to the
economics of flying cut flowers around the world. Unfortunately, this often
comes at a cost for local growers and pickers, who experience poor working
conditions.
THE THORNY CARBON ISSUE
In the United States, the roughly
100 million roses grown, shipped and purchased on a typical Valentine’s Day
produce some 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, from field to florist.
But, as with most things in our
complex and busy world, the question of a flower’s carbon footprint isn’t as straightforward
as it might seem. The Netherlands is one
of the world’s biggest exporters of cut flowers, where the majority are grown
in heated or refrigerated green houses.
Maintaining the controlled
environmental conditions inside these buildings requires artificial light, heat
and cooling, so each rose grown in the Netherlands contributes an average of
around 2.91kg of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
In contrast, a single rose grown
on a farm in Kenya contributes only 0.5kg.
This is largely because Kenyan
hot houses do not use artificial heating or lighting, and most farm workers
walk or cycle to work. As a result, flowers grown in tropical regions are
sometimes considered low-carbon.
Of course, this doesn’t always
factor in international transport.
PESKY PESTICIDES
As flowers are not an edible
crop, they are typically exempt from regulations on pesticide use. As a result,
the cut flower industry is one of the biggest consumers of pesticides
worldwide.
In Kenya and other countries,
chemicals such as methyl bromide and others that are banned in countries like
the US are regularly imported in significant quantities by flower growers for
pest control.
Worryingly, methyl bromide is an
ozone-depleting substance. In some cases, run-off of these chemicals from
growing fields adjacent to water bodies, such as Kenya’s Lake Naivasha, has
resulted in the collapse of fish stocks that are crucial to local communities.
LET US TAKE ACTION
The good news is that there are
plenty of eco-friendly ways to show your devotion.
The best option is to grow your
own flowers to give as gifts.
You can also give that special
someone a living plant that can grow in their garden for years to come.
If you decide to buy imported
flowers, look for labels indicating that suppliers are members of regulatory
schemes.
It’s also worth asking or
insisting that your local florist switch from plastic cellophane wrapping to
butcher’s paper (or similar environmentally friendly material).
GREEN BUSINESS IS
GOOD BUSINESS – CASE STUDY
The reality that growers are facing a market that is increasingly getting concerned over unsustainable practices dawned on the industry when supermarkets stated that they will only be sourcing flowers from growers involved in sustainable practices.
n adherence to this requirement, Kenyan flower grower and exporter
Oserian Development Corporation has come up with a raft of measures aimed at
maintaining production over a long period of time without compromising on
natural systems or its responsibility to workers, suppliers and the local
communities.
As one of the largest exporters of cut roses to the European Union,
Oserian has adopted a ‘champions by nature’ approach to flower growing. The
company utilises the integrated pest management (IPM) system, hydroponics to
reduce water and fertiliser consumption and has the world’s largest geothermal
heating project for maintaining the temperature in its greenhouses and for the
provision of carbon dioxide (CO2) needed by the plants.
The company has adjusted its production system to address the ongoing
changes in European Union’s environmental legislation which has increased
pressure on agricultural production from EU’s trade partners. “We’re seeing
developments in legislation on pesticides and bee-friendly products,” says
Hamish Ker, Oserian’s technical director. He adds that the EU currently
measures maximum residue limits (MRL) of pesticides on vegetables and fruit
imports.
The company has invested heavily in natural solutions. It has launched
a new outfit called Two Lakes, to develop new biological solutions through own
research or by partnering with leading IPM companies. Oserian considers
investing in natural solutions as a means of improving the company’s products
for lowering costs. Ker says that this makes Oserian more competitive. “Yes, we
have to invest in training on how to use these unique systems, but once you
have that capacity, you find that nature’s solutions are more sustainable from
all perspectives. To all intents and purposes, what you’re doing is creating a
balanced ecosystem on the farm.”
Initiatives to reduce carbon
footprint : To further reduce its carbon footprint, the company has
imported seven electric vehicles from the Netherlands. “We’re going to use them
to convert our trucks from fossil fuel to electric vehicles, which we can power
from our geothermal plant,” says Ker. “If the project goes well, we’ll see more
electric vehicle use in the future.” “Green business is good business,” says
Ker who adds that the company hopes to save on the $500,000 it uses on diesel
each year.
In addition, the company has embraced a more environmentally-friendly
transportation process. It has adopted a unique concept for packing flowers
developed by a Nairobi-based company, Cargolite. The latter’s cardboards are
strengthened with a plastic skeleton. “This means a lighter box, which saves on
air freight, cardboard, and results in a reduced impact on the environment.”
Ker adds that by using the new packaging system, Oserian now saves as much as
$8,000 for every one million stems transported to Europe.
Support to farmers & herders:
Further, the company has been supporting local farmers to develop clean
seeds. “Our sister company, Stokman, has developed clean seed banana planting
materials and potatoes in its labs.” Ker says that the company helps local
farmers by doing soil analysis, “so that they can understand the imbalances and
can apply the right fertilisers and other corrective measures.”
Oserian has been providing high-breed sheep to local herders. “We have
sheep on the farm to keep the grass short around the greenhouses, which reduces
the insects and the diseases.” Ker says that the company imported a pedigree
breed of sheep from South Africa called the Dorper, which it crossed with the
local Maasai breed. “We set aside some of the ram lambs every year and donate
them to the community, to help improve their flocks.
