The women suffering for your Valentine's Day flowers

[Judi Lynn]

The women suffering for your Valentine's Day flowers

Behind the millions of imported flowers we buy every year is a mostly female workforce subjected to low pay and poor conditions

Oliver Balch
Thursday 12 February 2015 12.51 EST


[font size=1]
Colombia is currently the second largest producer of flowers in the world.
Photograph: LEONARDO MUNOZ/EPA
[/font]
Lydia López González’s day typically starts at 3:30am. That gives the 47-year-old single mother from Facatativá, central Colombia time to make breakfast and lunch for her daughter before leaving for the flower fields at 5am.

“I don’t like leaving her, but what else can I do? Anyway, I’m usually back by 5pm. Many of the other women don’t get home until midnight”, she says.

González is one of tens of thousands of workers in Colombia’s Savanna de Bogotá region working to produce the carnations, roses and other flowers hitting UK shelves this Valentine’s Day. Behind the beautiful bouquets, however, lie worrying reports of poor pay, long hours and other systemic labour abuses.

In recent years, Colombia has emerged as the world’s second largest flower exporter, with plane-loads of freshly-cut flowers leaving for the US, UK, Japan and other markets every day. Exports increased by 4.4% between 2013-2014, according to the Cactus Corporation, a Bogotá-based campaign group, which claims the industry’s US$1.3bn (2012) annual sale revenues are being bought at the cost of workers’ rights.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/feb/12/the-women-suffering-for-your-valentines-day-flowers

[polly7]

1. Everyone who knows me knows not to give me flowers, diamonds or any new technology I absolutely

don't need (and I do feel bad about using what I have already). I know these countries depend on these exports, but the workers who provide them are completely abused and underpaid. It's very sad to think of what they go through.

[midnight]

2. Bringing attention to workers who rise early and work hard long hours that they are not compensated

for is not acceptable. Thank you for addressing this important message for this holiday, but don't let it stop there. Our teachers in our schools have been under attach for years, and need our support. Our nurses who are tasked with working doubles because of a business model that is profit oriented-need our support.

And please when at the check out counter, or other service industry use respect and show appreciation. If we think about the workers around this country and others we can impact this together.

[CrispyQ]

3. I just bought a flower share at a local CSA. I'm so excited.

I stopped buying flowers a few years ago when I heard about the industry. Then I saw some gorgeous locally grown flowers at the farmer's market. Then I found a CSA that sells flower shares. A bouquet a week for 15 weeks for $150. Starts in June.

Grocery store bouquets are always the same flowers, week after week.