Love is in the Fair-trade: Make it a Green Valentine’s Day with Sustainable Flowers

What says Happy Valentine’s Day better than a bouquet of Roses? You know, those sweet smelling flowers, grown in factory farms, doused in pesticides, genetically modified, dyed for colour, and shipped halfway across the world? Maybe not the best picture of love, but if your Valentine really wants some nice flowers, make sure you know what you are getting.
70 to 80% of flowers sold in the United States are imported from Latin America (mostly from Colombia and Ecuador). These flowers can take up to 2 weeks from the time they are cut to the time they reach your florist. The flowers are covered in pesticides and preservatives to ensure they reach their destination looking good. Recently, there has been growing demand for fair trade and local flowers.
The best way to get organic flowers is from a florist that also grows their own flowers. There are many local farms (especially in the Southern States where weather permits) that grow their own flowers. These flowers are pesticide free, do not have to be imported, and are guaranteed fresh and will live longer.