These flowers are good for the environment -- and people

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/418553.html

Interview with Alina Alvarez : http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/418553-a418515-t4.html

For the conscientious consumer, Fair Trade-certified flowers have arrived in the United States.
Posted on Thu, Feb. 14, 2008

BY JANE BUSSEY
[e-mail]

Roses are red, violets are blue, but now, just in time for Valentine's Day, flower buyers can be green too.

For the socially and environmentally conscious consumer, Fair Trade-certified flowers have arrived in the United States. But this Valentine season they were sold by just a few retailers across the nation.

The Fair Trade label certifies that the flowers -- mostly roses -- are raised on farms that practice environmentally sustainable growing methods, guarantee minimum prices to growers and give money back to workers to be invested in community projects of their choice, ranging from day-care centers to Internet cafés.


RONNA GRADUS/MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Alina Alvarez Alzugaray, left, and Hortensia Ullivarri in their InBloom Group headquarters. InBloom was selected by the single Colombian flower farm and nine Ecuadorean farms that offer Fair Trade-certified flowers to exclusively represent them in the United States.


''You can't talk about taking care of the planet without talking about taking care of the people,'' said Anthony Malek, spokesman for TransFair USA, the exclusive third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. TransFair is headquartered in Oakland, Calif.

Started in Europe almost 30 years ago, the Fair Trade movement originally set out to counteract the effects of collapsing coffee prices on small communities after the global deregulation of coffee. Fair Trade coffee set a floor on prices paid to poor communities where coffee is often grown. Chocolate, vanilla and other products now also may be certified as Fair Trade.

While Fair Trade flowers have been certified in Europe for a number of years, the concept is new in the United States and such flowers only became available in this country late last year. They're generally slightly more expensive than regular flowers.

FULL story at link.

[gateley]

1. K&R - Thanks! nt

[derby378]

2. Good on 'em!

Fair Trade goods are a wonderful idea. We've got Fair Trade cane sugar sitting in the kitchen, I've given Fair Trade gifts during Christmas, etc.

[LWolf]

3. They are.

Fair trade, based on environmental standards and workers rights'.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Wilms]

4. Nice. K&R. n/t