“The majority of cut flowers are grown in Latin America and Africa, near the equator, in an industry that employs mostly women working without benefits and with forced overtime when holidays roll around and flowers are in demand. The flowers themselves are grown in greenhouses or under broad tents—not to keep weather or insects out, but to keep pesticides in. Growers in other countries douse the flowers with chemicals and make frequent use of pesticides banned in the U.S.  Up to 20 percent of the pesticides used, in fact, are banned here.

Heavy application of pesticides in confined areas has significant impacts on both the environment and workers. The chemicals get on workers' clothes, in their skin and lungs, and are carried out of the greenhouses to their homes. Pesticides also contaminate the soil and seep into water supplies. Studies in Costa Rica have indicated that 50 percent of floriculture workers show symptoms of pesticide poisoning, and rates of miscarriage and birth defects are higher in areas surrounding flower farms.

Certified organic flowers are grown without the use of dangerous pesticides—making a safer environment for floriculture workers, their families, and their homes. Urge your local florists to carry certified flowers, and look for organic flowers online or at your local farmer's market.”

—From “The Conscious Consumer,” a publication of The Center for a New American Dream