PARIS (Reuters) – It’s the classic romantic combination: Valentine’s Day in Paris, the city of love, and a gift of red roses. But some Parisian florists are trying to drive customers away from flowers because of their ecological cost.
Most roses sold in France in the run up to Valentine’s Day, a peak sales period for the global flower industry, need to be imported by airfreight from countries like Kenya, resulting in carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
Florists concerned about the environmental damage from this trade say that there are viable alternatives that can be grown locally and are trying to encourage customers to try them out.
They face an uphill battle, because the tradition of gifting red roses on Valentine’s Day, which falls on February 14, is very ingrained in many cultures.
Hortense Harang, founder of an online flower shop called “Fleurs d’Ici” – French for “Flowers from here” – has led the campaign to wean people from roses.
“Red roses are so 1950s,” she said.
“Roses are completely banned this season because it basically makes no sense to buy roses. Roses do not grow in our latitudes this season. “
His campaign gathered support. “It is not logical to have flowers on the other side of the planet if we can obtain them locally,” said Edith Besenfelder, a 46-year-old Parisian florist who works with local and seasonal flowers.
But old habits are hard to die. Celine Argente, the 40-year-old owner of the Sylvine florist in Paris, said she has encouraged customers to buy red tulips as a way to declare their love. But despite that, his store this week was packed to the rafters with red roses, to meet the demand.
“It’s a classic that people can’t change,” she said. “The red rose remains the flower of Valentine’s Day.”
Written by Christian Lowe; Editing by Alison Williams