The long trip of a Rose The case study of flower trade in Kenya

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The long trip of a Rose The case study of
flower trade in Kenya

• Athena Drakou
• Friends of the Earth
• Southampton Eastleigh

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The beginning

• 1960s Production of cut flower
  markets is moving to developing countries

• 1980s
• Structural Adjustment Programmes
• Pressure on developing countries to pay off the
  debts

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History of flower production in Kenya

• Initiated by European Settlers during the 1960s.
• An attempt to cover countrys US 250 million
  trade deficit and a drop in prices of tea and
  coffee.
• Rapid expansion during the 1990s

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Kenyas cut-flower exports
Total Exports
35,000 tonnes to Europe Holland 65 U.K.
16 Germany 9
Britons spend over 1. 5bn a year to cut flowers
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Force and demands by large retail chains lead to
pressure on employees and the application of
pesticides.

• Climatic constraints to breed new flower
  varieties.
• Competition due to the growing number of
  producers.
• Seasonality of cut flower consumption.

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Lake Naivasha

• Lake Naivasha the main flowercut growing
  region.
• Concerns about the impact that both the flower
  industry and booming tourist.
• Influx of workers- over-populated.
• Shantytowns, water abstraction and risk of water
  pollution from pesticide run-off.

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Big Business and Working conditions

• Media generating Public concern about working
  conditions on flower farms.
• Emergence of fair trade projects
• Establishment of Kenyas Flower Council

• Kenya Flower Council (KFC)
• Foster the responsible and safe production of
  cut flowers in Kenya while protecting the natural
  environment and benefiting the welfare of all
  farm staff

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Tarnished image

• Out of 150 flower farms only 17 are members of
  KFC.
• High unemployment encourage migration.
• No effective sewage facilities.
• Extraction of water from the lake by flower
  farms.
• Use of highly hazardous pesticides.

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Pesticides and Health Effects

• Organophosphates (OPs) affect the nervous
  system.

• Use of Methyl bromide may cause burns to the
  skin or eyes, and adversely affect wildlife.

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Lake Naivasha in Critical Condition

• 400 species of birds under threat due to
  pollution.
• Water levels are dropping.
• Fish stock are declining.
• Lake is almost half its former size
• Invasive species restructure the food web.

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Isnt it damaging the environment to fly flowers
to the UK?

• UK produced in 2004 157m tonnes of CO2.
• Road Transport in UK accounts for 21, or 33m
  tonnes of CO2.
• Average UK household produces 6 tonnes of CO2 a
  year.
• Flowers flown from Kenya are responsible for
  33,000 tonnes of CO2 each year
• Growing flowers in glasshouses in Europe
  requires the burning of fossil fuels to provide
  the appropriate levels of heat and light.

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Do we have a choice?

• Buy locally grown flowers
• Labelling with their country of origin.
• Education about the implication of air transport
• Fairtrade Mark guarantees a better deal for
  workers and environment

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Sustainable cultivation of flowers

• Fair-trade provides alternative local employment.

• Hydroponics An alternative method of flower
  production.

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I love you and the Earth too!"

• Buy Eco-Friendly Flowers
• Lets see florists delivering more "green"
  bouquets in the years to come.

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References

• Maharaj and Dorren G., 1995, The game of the
  Rose, International Books, Utrecht.
• Detmers M. and Kortland J, 1996, Kenyas flower
  exports, a flourishing business in Kortland J.
  and Sprang U. ds Make way in Africa.
• Hughes A., 2000, Retailers, knowledges and
  changing commodity networks the case of the cut
  flower trade, Geoforum, 31(175-90)
• Bolger A., 1997, Unions call for code to
  protect flower workers Financial Times, May 4
  1997.
• Grace Ohayo-Mitoko, Occupational Pesticide
  Exposure among Kenyan Agricultural Workers and
  epidemiological and public health perspective
  Kenyan Medical Research Institute and Department
  of Epidemiology and Public Health, Wgeningen
  Agricultural University, The Netherlands, 1997.
• Science in Africa http//www.scienceinafrica.co.za
  /2006/april/naivasha.htm
• Local Government Association
• http//www.lga.gov.uk/PressRelease.asp?lSection0
  idSX1079-A7838EA7
• Edie.net http//www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?
  id11072channel0

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Fair Trade Flowers

• Press more for a Fair Trade in Flowers Press
  for a flower production that cares and for man
  and environment and implements social and
  environmental standards in flower production.
• Fair Trade rtified farms have to fulfill the
  following criteria
• Living wages Freedom of association
  Non-discrimination A Ban on child labour and
  forced labour Health care A ban on toxic
  pesticides Responsible handling of natural
  resources