Introduction
Think Colombia and chances are you’ll think drugs. Oh yes and kidnapping, terrorism and bombs on a daily basis.
However while there is no doubt that used to be the case, the Colombia of today is a far, far different place. OK it’s not perfect … where in the world is? But it is certainly not as bad as some journalists would like to make out.
Because these days Colombia is not only far safer and more peaceful but a nation of incredibly warm and determined people who have managed to develop and thrive despite the continued negativity they have faced.
Are we biased?
Yes of course we are! We work with Colombia and its people on a daily basis. But we wouldn’t do it unless we had faith in what they were doing and a belief in their aims and aspirations. We’ve been there, we’ve travelled on our own, we’ve met the people and we've seen the flower farms that send their flowers to the UK.
The truth is that Colombia is a country that no longer deserves its tarnished image and that’s why we hope this website will help you realise that not only is Colombia a country that deserves support and praise but through it’s flower industry, creates pleasure for us and opportunities for it’s people.
Enjoy the site and if you have any queries or concerns then call us … we and Colombia have nothing to hide and an awful lot to be proud of.
Kind regards
Caroline & Chrissie
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Florverde?
Florverde means green flowers and basically does what it means. An independently assessed accreditation scheme, Florverde makes sure growers who take part meet the highest global standards of work practice … be it through use of pesticides, water re-cycling or worker welfare.
The programme was developed over 10 years ago by Asocolflores, the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters as they realised they needed to have a set of standards. And the fact it has been going for so long shows that Colombia was and still is very much ahead of the game when it comes to social and environmental issues.
However to make sure it is absolutely above board and beyond question, all Florverde participants have to be verified and audited by SGS, one of the worlds most respected third party verifiers. Yet another way of showing that when Colombian flower growers say they are doing something, they are!
And there are no half measures. A grower can’t just have adopt a bit of the programme. If they want Florverde staus they have to do everything and everything right.
Now, such is the standard of quality, GLOBALGAP have accorded the Florverde scheme with their own accreditation, the highest accolade a socio-environmental programme can get. Click Here for the full story.
Is Florverde as good as Fairtrade?
Near as darn it yes and at a recent meeting Jane Snell of Fairtrade acknowledged that. And that’s why Florverde and the Colombian Government are in discussions with Fairtrade to see how the two marks of quality can work closer together.
You see it costs the growers a lot of money to apply for and gain accreditations like Fairtrade. Given so many of them have already invested in Florverde it would be more sensible if a joint system could be found rather than increase the price of flowers to cover the cost of duplicated work.
It won’t happen overnight and there will be some growers who will go for both marks but if a relationship can be found that it would be sensible for everyone
Why do they need it?
Why do we need any of the rules and regulations that exist these days? Because there are some unscrupulous people all over the world who will always try and do things badly in an effort to save money. Let’s face it the UK isn’t perfect either. We were the country that allowed 23 Chinese cockle pickers to die on Morecambe Bay.
However reputable growers are prepared to stand up and be counted. So Florverde is an opportunity for Colombian growers to say “Hey I agree with, and want to work to, international standards and am prepared to be checked regularly to make sure I’m doing it.”
Does flying flowers from Colombia damage the planet?
All plane journeys have an impact on the climate so if you ban flowers then you’d have to ban food, medical aid and holidays. In reality while it may sound mad, research by Cranfield University has shown that it is actually more ‘planet friendly’ to grow roses in Colombia and fly them into the UK than grow them in Holland or the UK.
The reason is that whilst you would save on plane fuel you’d actually have to use far more fuel to heat the greenhouses in Holland or UK to achieve the same sort of flower. You’d also use more energy on light because it has to be artificially created and so together you would be adding to the problem not taking away from it.
The majority of Colombian flowers actually come in on passenger planes (belly filler shipments as they’re known) so actually we’re using planes that are already flying rather than adding in extra flights, Obviously at peak occasions there are extra flights but that’s simply to meet customer demand because there aren’t enough locally grown flowers available.
The rest of the time importers will consolidate consignments as tightly as possible. Not just to save money on fuel and freight charges so flowers are realistically priced but to conserve energy and do their bit for protecting the environment.
Do Colombian flower growers employ children?
No. Legally they are allowed to employ workers from the age of 16. In reality they actually won’t employ anyone under 18 because they want to encourage further education and personal development.
What’s more their programmes cover education and personal development so children of Colombian flower workers actually get a whole host of add on benefits. Click here to read everything we do
What about pesticides?
Sadly we still need some pesticides to make sure bad bugs aren't transmitted around the world but in the same way medicines have been developed and improved so that gentler formulas have the same effect on human infections so too have the chemicals used in the flower industry.
There are actually some pretty hefty rules and regulations surrounding pesticides use, both in Europe and the States, which means growers cannot use certain products if they want their flowers allowed into these areas. Given 95% of Colombian production is exported it actually wouldn’t make sense to use any chemical that was banned … they’d lose all their sales!
Is it true women workers are regularly abused?
No. This is journalistic headlines at its worst and a story that gets rolled out by certain organisations to get media coverage – usually around Valentines and Mother's Day.
However Colombia takes these allegations very seriously and has repeatedly asked for the sources to be identified, in confidence, so that they can carry out independent investigations.
So far that information has never been forthcoming and as a result the allegation cannot be verified or disputed. The trouble is the damage is done and people believe it because they’ve read it in a paper or on the Internet. In this case we would suggest that you can’t believe everything you read!
Are all farms approved?
No but all the ones that send their flowers to the UK are either already Florverde accredited or are in the process of being approved. And that’s an important point to remember.
The UK market is quite rightly very demanding that flower growing standards are both maintained and improved. Therefore importers and supermarkets who buy Colombian flowers will not support any grower who isn’t doing the right thing.
In fact quite frankly it isn’t in their interests to support below standard growers because organisations like War on Want and tabloid journalists would have a field day! As a result you can be confident that any Colombian flower brought into the UK will have been grown in the right way and with the right respect for both the workers and the environment.
Why do organisations like War on Want target Colombia?
We guess because it makes good headlines and they need those to keep their own organisation in the media!
Having done our own research we cannot find any proof of the allegations they make and indeed suspect secretly they know darn well that Colombia has improved greatly but would find it hard to say as their remit is to criticise and challenge … not praise!
It’s easier for us to understand and confirm the truth because we do it for a living. However given some of the reports we found when we were doing our research are over 18 years old it’s clear that there is a lot of old and unsubstantiated information out there being regurgitated by journalists.
Hopefully this website will help put the record straight and we can start seeing some more positive stories or at least less of the negative ones which actually don’t help anyone.
What we sell
The very best flowers in the world! OK that’s a bold statement but given the Sabaña de Bogotá is acknowledged as having the most perfect growing conditions we reckon it’s a claim we can make.
In fact Colombia is the second largest supplier of flowers in the world and it’s because they do produce amazing flowers that they achieved such huge success.
Our flowers … be they Roses, Carnations or Alstroemeria are bigger, more vibrant, stronger and longer than any one else’s and why major names like Marks and Spencer and Waitrose, two of the toughest buyers there are, regularly stock Colombian flowers in their ranges.
But while we may be famous … or infamous depending on how you feel about them! ... for our Carnations we actually produce a myriad of flowers that are perfect for every design.
And there are always new varieties coming through. We bring you a taster of our top crops this season and some nifty ideas on how you can transform your home with stunning Colombian flowers. Simply click on the picture that takes your fancy and be prepared to be amazed.
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