96% of UK adults unaware most Mother’s Day flowers come from East Africa

Ahead of Mother’s Day (Sunday 15 March), the Fairtrade Foundation commissioned a new Kantar survey. It reveals only 4% of UK adults are aware that most of the flowers sold at this time of year come from East Africa (mainly Kenya and Ethiopia). Over 80% of flowers sold in the UK are imports, with around half grown in East Africa, 12% in the Netherlands and 9% in Colombia.

Flowers remain one of the UK’s favourite Mother’s Day gifts. 39% of people plan to buy them this year, rising to 70% of 25-34 year olds and 61% of 16-24 year olds. However, the survey highlights a striking lack of awareness of the people and places behind the stems.

Flower growers’ working conditions

Many flower workers in Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia and Ecuador – most of them women – face low pay, long hours, unsafe working conditions and exposure to harmful chemicals. On average, flower workers in Kenya earn £2 a day or less.

More than three quarters (76%) of people in the UK aren’t aware that most flower growers working in East Africa earn below the living wage for their work growing the flowers we buy at this time of year.

90% were concerned about the human rights and environmental challenges in the industry, including low pay and exposure to pesticides, faced by flower growers working overseas, and two thirds of people are interested in finding out more about the people who grow their flowers (rising to 88% of 25-34 year olds).

Choosing flowers with the Fairtrade Mark on their packaging means they have grown on Fairtrade-certified farms. These have met strict standards, including rules on health and safety including pesticides and protective equipment.

Up to 70% of workers on flower farms in Kenya are women. On Fairtrade-certified farms, workers – most of them women – benefit from stronger protections and investment in their wellbeing.

At Shalimar Flowers Farm in Naivasha, Kenya, Fairtrade Premium funds have supported leadership training, childcare and skills development. As Rebecca Amoth, who works as a flower grower on the farm, explained:

When I started working here, it was common to hear cases of harassment. Women were afraid to speak up, and even more afraid to dream… Today, more women are stepping into leadership. And when something isn’t right, we speak up.

Rebecca has also been able to access subsidised childcare because of Fairtrade sales – paying just £0.90 a month instead of the £12 charged by private facilities. Fairtrade Premium funds have helped train workers like her to develop new skills and earn additional income to support their families. Rebecca explained:

I’ve paid school fees without stress, and I’m building a permanent home.

Fairtrade flowers

Fairtrade flowers are grown with respect for people and for the planet, making them a good option for those looking to buy flowers this Mother’s Day. 57% of people (60% of women) surveyed agreed, saying that knowing flowers were Fairtrade would make a Mother’s Day gift feel more meaningful. However, over half of UK shoppers (57%) are unaware that Fairtrade flowers are widely available to buy, in supermarkets and online retailers.

Responding to the findings, Marie Rumsby, director of advocacy at the Fairtrade Foundation, said:

Women make up a large proportion of the global flower workforce, yet too many are still in low-paid, insecure and unsafe roles.

This Mother’s Day, we’re urging people to support the women behind our bouquets – by choosing Fairtrade flowers and by signing Fairtrade’s petition to demand business that’s fair to people and planet – these simple acts will help protect the women who grow the blooms we love.

Our research shows UK shoppers care deeply about how their flowers are produced, but they aren’t getting the transparency they deserve. People want to make ethical choices, yet the reality of low pay, long hours and unsafe conditions is too often hidden from view.

Businesses and government must step up to ensure the people behind our flowers are protected and treated with dignity.

Right now, companies can still operate without taking full responsibility for what happens in their supply chains. That’s why Fairtrade is calling for a strong, mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence law – one that ensures workers are safe, paid fairly and able to speak up without fear.

This Mother’s Day, look for the Fairtrade Mark on your flowers to support the people who grow them. And as the government concludes its Responsible Business Conduct Review, we urge ministers to put fairness for farmers and workers at the heart of UK supply chains.

The government is in the process of updating its National Baseline Assessment of progress against the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. And it’s due to release the outcome of its Responsible Business Conduct Review later in March. As the government finalises its Review, Fairtrade is urging ministers to introduce a strong, mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence law so companies take responsibility for conditions in their supply chains.

Call for government action

Against this backdrop, the research shows strong public backing for tougher action: 82% of UK adults surveyed believe both the UK government and businesses should do more to prevent human rights abuses and environmental harm in their supply chains.

To amplify the call for government legislation, on Tuesday 10 March a digital van will tour Westminster displaying messages to the minister for trade, Chris Bryant. The messages come from Fairtrade’s CEO, Fairtrade farmers and workers, fair fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna, and the CEO of the Co‑op. They all urge the introduction of a responsible business law (also known as a Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence law).

Alongside this, Fairtrade supporters are sending around 1,000 postcards directly to the minister to reinforce the message.

In the UK, shoppers can buy Fairtrade flowers online at Arena Flowers and Bloom & Wild, or in supermarkets like Aldi, Asda, Co-op and Lidl.

Emily Pearce, Co-op’s senior sustainable sourcing and international development manager, said:

It’s clear from the research that flowers remain a firm Mother’s Day favourite. At Co-op, we’re proud to be making it easier for our members and customers to choose Fairtrade as the UK’s largest retailer of Fairtrade flowers, sourcing 112.5 million stems last year alone.

We have been supporting Fairtrade for more than 30 years, championed by our passionate members.

We see first-hand the difference it can make and whilst there is still much to do to address unfairness in global food supply chains, we know that through our commitment, our members and customers are contributing to a fairer deal for the farmers and workers producing these beautiful blooms.

The global cut flowers trade is worth over $30bn. Last year in the UK, florists saw a more than fivefold transaction uplift on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

Featured image via the Fairtrade Foundation