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What has to be stated for fruits and vegetables is often missing for flowers: the origin. Around 90 percent of our cut flowers are imported and often come from overseas. Compared to food, sustainability is not yet a big issue when it comes to plants.
We spend around 800 million francs on cut flowers every year in Switzerland. We are therefore considered world champions.
Consumers place the most value on the appearance of the flowers, followed by the price. Sustainability comes in third place, writes Fairtrade Max Havelaar.
But if you want to know where your bouquet of flowers comes from, you often can’t find out. In contrast to vegetables and fruits, the origin of cut flowers does not have to be declared. Around 90 percent of our cut flowers are imported, as the Swiss Forestry Association estimates.
Most flowers come from Kenya, Ecuador and the Netherlands. It should be noted that Dutch flowers do not necessarily grow there. The country is also a hub for global trade.
From an ecological perspective, however, closer is not always better. Roses, for example, flown in from Kenya cause fewer emissions than those grown in greenhouses heated by fossil fuels in the Netherlands. This shows one studywhich was commissioned by the Migros Cooperative Association and Max Havelaar.
Flowers from Kenya and Holland
To ensure that roses survive transport and remain in perfect condition, they are treated with pesticides. “A rose is a culture that needs pesticides,” says Marco Weisskopf, account manager at Agrotropic.
The company in Oberhasli is one of the largest importers of Fairtrade roses. “Together with the farms, we ensure that only the absolute minimum of pesticides is used,” he continues. Fairtrade roses are also sprayed, but the organization’s framework conditions include a list of banned pesticides and measures to protect local workers.
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“The end consumer wants a flawless rose,” explains Marco Weisskopf from Agrotropic. If a rose has any damage or pressure points, it will be sorted out in quality control.
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Pesticide residues on roses always cause criticism. This is what Ökotest has 21 bouquets of roses tested and various plant protection products have been proven. Even those that are not allowed to be used in the EU. However, importing them into the EU is permitted because flowers are not food.
Swiss cut flowers are rare
Swiss flowers treated without pesticides and chemical fertilizers are a niche product. The so-called Slowflower movement seeks to promote sustainability in the industry with its philosophy of seasonal and locally grown flowers.
We are currently not making a profit from our home-grown flowers.
One store that tries this is Green Space. “It’s a project close to our hearts,” says florist Jasmin Christen, “We’re not currently making a profit from the flowers we grow ourselves.” You are not alone in this. According to the Slowflower Movement association, this is a sideline or hobby for 75 percent of its members.
The effort is huge and as florists they have to teach themselves their knowledge: “It’s ‘learning by doing’,” she says. “If something doesn’t work, we have to try something different the following year.”
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As a replacement for conventional pesticides, they would work with insecticides and beneficial insects. “We collect the snails by hand,” says Jasmin Christen.
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They also still rely on imported cut flowers. More sustainability can only be generated if there is a rethink: “The entire industry has to consider whether we really have to have everything all year round,” says Christen.
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As complicated and complex as our world is, we want to understand it. To do this, we are looking for answers: In reports, we immerse ourselves in our Swiss society and take you with us: Give you deep talk, doubts and rays of hope with our hosts Amila Redzic, Livio Carlin and Michelle Feer.