What is the Cost of Valentine’s Day to the Environment?

Each cut-flower can emit up to 3 kg of CO₂

The cut-flower industry has a huge impact on the environment due to growing methods and transportation

/EIN News/ -- SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- February 2020, Valentine’s Day sees a sharp rise in the purchase of fresh flowers. The global flower production industry is worth an estimated 64.5 billion euros¹, Valentine’s Day is the number one holiday for florists and for floral purchases with Christmas/Chanukah coming second². While this industry does provide jobs for thousands of people in developing countries, there is also a significant cost to the environment caused by floriculture. The majority of flowers bought in local florists and supermarkets are imported from other countries which means large amounts of CO₂ are emitted during their transportation. The biggest producers of cut-flowers are the Netherlands, Kenya, Colombia and Israel, which grow flowers, such as roses, orchids and carnations³, that are commonly given as Valentine’s Day gifts.

Carbon emissions associated with cut-flower production can be as high as 3 kg of CO₂ per flower

Beyond the carbon cost of transportation and the refrigeration of flowers, until sold, there is also a significant environmental impact associated with the intensive farming of fresh flowers. In some areas, large inputs of energy are required to grow the flowers on the scale required by consumer demand. This is the case for countries experiencing cloud cover throughout the year and who mainly grow flowers in greenhouses, such as the Netherlands and UK. These greenhouses are often heated through the combustion of natural gas and release large amounts of CO₂.

This means an increased distance of travel does not necessarily correlate with increased emissions. A study from Cranfield University using life cycle analysis showed that roses sold in UK and grown in the Netherlands emit 6 times more CO₂ compared to roses grown in other countries, such as Kenya. This equals roughly 3 kg of CO₂ per flower³. Despite the shorter distance, there is a much higher carbon cost associated with the production phase of the flowers grown in the Netherlands due to intensive farming in greenhouses.

Why not trees instead of flowers?

Showing love does not have to be incompatible with caring for the environment. More long-lasting and environmentally friendly alternatives include tree planting as part of reforestation projects and a much more symbolic expression of love for the planet. Thanks to reforestation platforms such as Tree-Nation, which has already planted more than 130,000 trees since January 1, 2020, individuals can easily plant trees all over the world. While each cut-flower can emit up to 3 kg of CO2, a single tree is capable of cleaning up to 250 kg of CO₂ during its lifespan. Also while cut-flowers usually just last for a couple of weeks, a tree will last as long as any relationship–maybe more.

1. Newman, S. E., 2019. Floriculture. Encyclopedia of Environmental Health (second edition), 19-33.
2. IPSOS Floral Tracking Study; and IPSOS eNation National On-Line Research.
3. Bogash, S. M., Ford, T. G., Kime, L. F., Harper, J. K., 2012.  Agricultural Alternatives: Cut-flower production. Penn State Extension.
4. Williams, A., 2007. Comparative study of cut roses for the British market produced in Kenya and the Netherlands. Précis report for World Flowers.

About Tree-Nation
Tree-Nation is a reforestation platform that uses its own development software to connect citizens and businesses with plantation projects around the world. Founded by Maxime Renaudin, the Barcelona-based organization currently has more than 80 active reforestation projects. Since its inception in 2006, more than 130,000 users and more than 2,200 companies have planted 5 million trees using its platform. More information at https://tree-nation.com

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