Local vs. Fairtrade Flowers: Helping Your Community or the World's Poorest

Buy local or Fairtrade? Local in-season flowers support your community; Fairtrade helps the world's poorest. Most florists now offer both—you can alternate.

Benefits of Local Flowers

• Money stays local; farmers and businesses benefit directly.
• Keeps dying trades alive.
• Environmentally friendly: no greenhouses (no heating/irrigation energy), no air freight (no CO₂ emissions).
• Lower cost—less financial investment in development.
• More money recycled locally.

Benefits of Fairtrade Flowers

• Tropical/exotic plants year-round, grown in natural conditions (not forced).
• Money helps poorest people get fair trade chances.
• 2007: £1.6B spent on Fairtrade globally, 47% increase, benefiting 7M people in 58 nations.
• UK Fairtrade flowers: £4.3M (2004) → £33.4M (2008). Recession barely dented demand (£30M).
• Fairtrade requires community investment: Kenya examples—schools, clean water, medicines, HIV/AIDS orphan care.

Whether local or global, ensure your money reaches those who need it and funds community projects.

Maricruz Tennill, freelance writer and horticulturalist, recommends Interflora for Birmingham flower delivery.