As Valentine’s Day arrives, environmentalists warn that those classic red roses often come with a hefty carbon footprint and heavy pesticide use. What options remain for anyone hoping to give flowers without the environmental guilt? Berlin (dpa) – Valentine's Day might be the time of year you're most likely to offer someone flowers – and yet in many parts of the planet it's also the hardest time of the year give flowers in an environmentally friendly way, environmentalists say. To give someone a climate-friendly bunch of flowers, we need to check more than just whether or not they are organic, says Corinna Hölzel, an environmental researcher and a hobby beekeeper. Organic means that they have been grown "without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and mineral fertiliser," she says. But flowers should also be grown as locally as possible, so they reach homes without long transport routes. But in many parts of Europe and North America, where Valentine's Day is widely celebrated, this is difficult at best. "We only need to look outside," says Hölzel, who campaigns against pesticide use and other environmental matters for the environmental group BUND in Germany, where flowers are scarce around Valentine's Day. "Very, very little is in bloom, and many animals depend on what is flowering outside, such as the earliest wild bees and bumblebee queens that need the nectar." That means: "On offer now are plants that have travelled a very long way," Hölzel says. "And they have mostly been produced with heavy use of pesticides." The Valentine's Day classic, the rose, is particularly illustrative. Hölzel's country Germany, for example, imports 1 billion roses in total each year, according to BUND, around 250 million of them from Kenya, Zambia and Ethiopia — by plane. Meanwhile in Canada, the vast majority of Valetine's Day roses are reported to be imported from Colombia and Ecuador. In winter, much of Europe resorts to importing from African countries. Either way, the flowers have travelled a long distance. "And that is definitely not sustainable," the BUND expert said. Some roses found in Europe do come from the Netherlands, however much of these are grown in heated greenhouses. Research has previously shown that the carbon footprint associated with these kinds of roses is still higher than roses flown in from African countries, and many multiples higher than roses shipped from African countries. So what does she recommend? First, skip the roses on Valentine's Day. Ideally, you should also avoid freshly cut flowers that are out of season now. Instead, you can now find really beautiful dried flower bouquets. You may also be able to find one that has a label guaranteeing regional and sustainable cultivation without long transport routes. Another alternative is to give someone a potted plant, preferably with certified organic quality. "And then they should, of course, really be early bloomers," Hölzel said. In much of the northern hemisphere, this might be anemones, ranunculus, tulips, snowdrops, crocuses or daffodils. If you prepare in advance, you can also cut your own branches of cherry or forsythia. "If you put them in a warm room and in warm water, they will always flower early — and if you do it in good time, even by Valentine's Day." If it has to be cut flowers, then, according to Hölzel, a bouquet of tulips is generally still a better choice than a bouquet of roses. "Tulips at least come from greenhouses in the Netherlands. With roses, the transport routes are longer," said the BUND expert. She added that tulips also tend to have lower levels of pesticide residues than roses. "And we do not find residues of banned pesticides there that are often used in African countries but are no longer permitted in the EU." If you still do not want to forgo Valentine's roses this year, you can look for a fair trade label, which doesn't prioritise organic growth, but does ensure fairer working conditions for people harvesting flowers, typically in the Global South. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn jek yyzz n1 jub sw
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