The UK’s horticultural season officially kicked off last month with stunning award-winning displays at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, inspiring the nation to get green fingered and grow, display or give more flowers. But what about the rest of the year? When you buy or receive flowers for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, the flower industry’s two busiest occasions, how often do you think about where they come from? In February I was fortunate enough to visit Kenya and meet flower-growing communities who work hard to grow the roses we love year-round.
There are currently 30 Fairtrade certified flower farms employing 30,400 flower workers in Kenya. Because the climate in the Naivasha region, with its high altitude, provides the perfect conditions for growing flowers, the industry has become Kenya’s third largest export after tea and tourism. During my short visit to several farms north of Nairobi we drove across a bright green landscape to meet staff from across the various departments, from workers involved in harvesting, grading and packing right up to management, who described the difference Fairtrade makes, above and beyond salary increases and premium projects.
Phillip Kuria, Nini Flower’s general manager, (who had started his career at the farm as a worker) told me about the journey they had been on since becoming certified in 2013. To meet Fairtrade’s rigorous standards, managers re-organised staffing numbers and hours in consultation with the farm’s 540 workers. Empowering farmers and workers is at the heart of Fairtrade’s mission and sharing this goal, Philip has actively encouraged workers to get more involved. To give them the skills to contribute in meetings and negotiate, workers have received on-the-job training as well as evening classes where they can learn other practical trades as well, such as tailoring or hairdressing, enabling them to gain further work in the future.
Soon they also began to benefit from working in an environment with a stronger focus on health and safety – which they have identified as extremely important. Farms with less stringent rules put people at risk of contamination from dangerous chemicals and therefore Fairtrade’s strict environmental standards on the use of pesticides are welcomed by workers and farms alike. Fairtrade also restricts the frequency in which flowers are sprayed with pesticides and requires protective clothing to be worn at all times. As a result of these improved conditions, the workforce is very loyal; 80% have now been working for eight years or more.
I was struck by similar anecdotes throughout my visit about the day to day difference Fairtrade certification has made, on the farms and also rippling into local communities too. At Simbi Roses, Jefferson, the general manager said that learning how to implement the Fairtrade Standards at work has also extended to workers’ homes. Many now opt for biological pesticides or less abrasive chemicals when growing their own subsistence crops, such as tomatoes, and always use protective personal equipment. Bigot Flowers is another Fairtrade farm leading the way in eco-friendly practices in this region. As we think about what we as individuals can do to protect the planet this World Environment Day (which this year was 5 June), these examples of safer use of pesticides and recycling water are inspirational.
Paul, Simbi’s Fairtrade officer, described a step-change in terms of wider working conditions since the farm joined Fairtrade in 2009, with improved paternity and maternity leave and more rights for expectant mothers as a result of the standards being put in place. Free healthcare checks are also carried out, with on-site confidential and free HIV and cancer screening offered.
Staff are also motivated through being part of a union or the Premium Committee, which decides democratically how to invest funds raised from 10% of the cost of every flower stem, such as health centres and education schemes like these in Naivasha. These structures which Fairtrade enables have given the 600-strong workforce a sense of belonging to a collaborative, collective organisation and has made them feel more valued. Like at Nini, staff are more engaged and production rates have also increased.
Fairtrade flowers are becoming more and more popular with shoppers and are available in the majority of UK retailers, however globally the proportion of flowers certified farms sell under Fairtrade terms is just 22%. Although workers on these farms still get a better deal because they follow Fairtrade’s Standards, they could do so much for their communities with the additional premium funding that more sales would bring, so when you next buy some flowers, think about the difference Fairtrade can make.
This summer, do choose seasonal British flowers but also buy Fairtrade and show your support for the people who work hard to provide the UK with roses year round. Fairtrade flowers are currently available in Lidl, Sainsbury’s, the Co-op, Aldi, Morrison’s, M&S, Asda and Tesco.
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