| |
Rosa Steppanova
7 February, 2008
DURING the celebration of Lupercalia young men lashed young women
with goat-skin thongs, known as Februa. Valentine’s day, the day for
lovers, can be traced to pre-Christian Rome, and one of the
ingredients in this ancient fertility rite gave its name to the
second month of the year.
Valentine’s day is still primarily a day for lovers, and a favourite
day for proposing marriage, for the giving of chocolates,
heart-shaped balloons, diamond rings, and of course flowers.
Did you know that the average journey for every component in a mixed
Valentine’s Day bouquet, as sold by a high street florist, adds up
to a staggering 33,000 air miles? And that’s not counting the
journey to Shetland.
The British nation spends £1.56 billion on cut flowers every year,
and while you read this, millions of roses, lilies, and carnations
are being cut, boxed and sent to a shop near you. Valentine’s Day is
one of the annual economic highlights for the florist trade. But
where do all these flowers come from in the middle of winter?
The Netherlands used to be undisputed market leaders in the forced
flower trade, but African floriculture is now giving them a run for
their money. Kenya is the continent’s major producer, exporting
almost 20,000 tons of mostly roses and carnations per annum.
Air miles are a bad thing for the planet, and we’re already burdened
with quite unacceptable amounts of food miles. Do we want to add
flower miles to them? So it makes sense to give those African
flowers the thumbs down in favour of something grown a little nearer
to home, doesn’t it?
As we take a closer look at those floral carbon debts, we’re in for
a bit of a surprise: a typical cargo of Kenyan roses releases 6,000
kg of C0² or greenhouse gasses, while the same quantity, grown in
the glasshouses of the Netherlands, weighs in at a whopping 35,000
kg. Kenyan roses can be produced all year round without the need for
artificial heat or light, while those in Holland consume vast
amounts of energy, especially when grown out of season. And given
the famous British climate, those raised closer to home consume a
little more yet.
But is the carbon footprint all we should be concerned about? Kenya
has a per capita income of US$250, (this has probably gone down
since the outbreak of civil war), and ranks high on the list of
poorest countries in the world. By buying Kenyan flowers you could
help create jobs, improve living standards.
But there’s a down side. Kenya’s rapidly expanding flora-cultural
sector has brought its share of human and environmental problems.
Long working hours and low wages have split up families, caused
migration into cities, and encouraged the spawning of shantytowns;
as a result local resources are stretched to their very limits.
Not only are there acute water shortages around some
flower-producing complexes, lakes and waterways have been polluted
by unlicensed and indiscriminate application of pesticides and
artificial fertilisers.
So how can you make sure your floral Valentine’s gift doesn’t come
with a human or environmental debt? Ask your supplier where the
flowers originate and look for either the fair trade mark or, in the
case of Kenyan roses, the Kenyan Flower Council emblem. Members of
both organisations guarantee fair wages and conditions for their
workers, and the lowest possible environmental impact.
But how about forgetting unseasonal flowers altogether? A large
bunch of scented Narcissi from the Scilly Islands strikes me as an
acceptable, low-carbon alternative, as does cherry blossom or
fragrant winter-sweet from southern England.
And why import at all? Most Shetland gardens can yield a posy of
willow catkins and snowdrops during Valentine’s week. Something
freshly picked on the morning of the 14 would certainly be my
choice.
I’ve never been one to advocate violence, but how about a return to
the origins of Valentine’s Day, and a little playful guilt and
carbon-free lashing with – given Shetland’s goat shortage - sheep
rather than goatskin thongs? And to aid the repayment of ancient
debts, this time round I’d like to see the women as the active
participants. |
|
|
|
