The True Cost of Valentine's Flowers

Shoppers expect the blooms they purchase to look perfect. So “growers work hard to provide flawless flowers,” says Dole. Large South American flower farms often practice monoculture—growing only one type of plant. Unfortunately, this makes it easier for pests or fungal disease to infest an entire crop. Flowers infested with bugs or diseases end up with spots and other blemishes, making them impossible to sell. To prevent that, farmers apply harsh pesticides to kill bugs and fungicides to prevent diseases caused by fungi.

Once picked, flowers are doused with additional pesticides to make sure they arrive in the U.S. insect-free. If inspectors find any bugs in a shipment, all the flowers must be destroyed. These strict regulations help prevent invasive species, which harm agriculture and ecosystems, from entering the country. But the use of all these toxic chemicals contaminates the soil and water supply. They also affect the health of flower farm workers and others living nearby.

Dr. Jose Ricardo Suarez, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Diego, studies the health impacts of pesticide exposure. Since 2008, his team has tracked the health of children in a region of Ecuador where many Valentine’s Day roses are grown. “We found that certain pesticides were linked to lower memory, attention, and emotion-recognition skills,” says Suarez. The researchers also saw signs of inflammation (a response to injury or sickness) and changes to hormones (chemical messengers in the body).

Shoppers want to buy perfect-looking blooms. So “growers work hard to provide flawless flowers,” says Dole. Large South American flower farms often practice monoculture. They grow only one type of plant. But that means pests or fungal disease can infest an entire crop more easily. Bugs and diseases cause spots and other blemishes on flowers. Then they’re impossible to sell. To prevent that, farmers apply harsh pesticides to kill bugs. They also use fungicides to prevent diseases from fungi.

After flowers are picked, they’re covered with more pesticides. This is so they’ll arrive in the U.S. insect-free. If inspectors find any bugs in a shipment, all the flowers must be destroyed. These strict rules help keep invasive species out of the country. Invasive species harm agriculture and ecosystems. But these toxic chemicals get into the soil and water supply. They also affect the health of flower farm workers and other local people.

Dr. Jose Ricardo Suarez is an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Diego. He studies the health effects of pesticide exposure. Since 2008, his team has tracked children’s health in a part of Ecuador. Many Valentine’s Day roses are grown in this area. “We found that certain pesticides were linked to lower memory, attention, and emotion-recognition skills,” says Suarez. The researchers also saw signs of inflammation. It’s a response to injury or sickness. And they saw changes to hormones. These are chemical messengers in the body.

In response to this issue, many growers in countries like Colombia and Ecuador have joined programs that set safer standards for pesticide use. Suarez says conditions have improved, but more needs to be done. “We need stronger rules to prevent pesticides from drifting into neighborhoods, more training for safe handling, and safer alternatives to pesticides.”

In the U.S., an increasing number of small- and medium-size growers are offering more sustainable options for Valentine’s Day. They’re cultivating flowers that thrive in cooler conditions, like tulips, anemones, snapdragons, and sweet peas. These blooms are easier to grow locally during the winter, with no long-distance shipping required, says Val Schirmer, president of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Many of these growers don’t use pesticides. “We also don’t tend to use monoculture growing practices, so we generally have fewer insect problems,” says Schirmer. Their farms also support native habitat for birds, which act as natural pest control.

If you’re shopping for flowers this February, Suarez hopes you’ll remember the people and communities that grow them. “Flowers bring joy, but they can come with hidden costs and burdens to the people who live near flower crops,” he says. “By learning about this, you can help push for safer ways to grow the things we love.”

To address this problem, programs have been started in countries like Colombia and Ecuador. These programs set safer standards for pesticide use. Many growers have joined them. Suarez says conditions have improved but that more needs to be done. “We need stronger rules to prevent pesticides from drifting into neighborhoods, more training for safe handling, and safer alternatives to pesticides.”

In the U.S., small- and medium-size growers are offering other choices for Valentine’s Day. An increasing number of them are growing more sustainable blooms. These flowers thrive in cooler conditions. Some examples are tulips, anemones, snapdragons, and sweet peas. They’re easier to grow locally during winter. No long-distance shipping is needed, says Val Schirmer. She’s the president of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Many of these growers don’t use pesticides. “We also don’t tend to use monoculture growing practices, so we generally have fewer insect problems,” says Schirmer. Their farms also support native habitat for birds. And the birds provide natural pest control.

If you shop for flowers this February, Suarez asks one thing. Remember the people and communities that grow them. “Flowers bring joy, but they can come with hidden costs and burdens to the people who live near flower crops,” he says. “By learning about this, you can help push for safer ways to grow the things we love.”