If you’re celebrating a parent in your life this month, consider doing so with a gift that supports local agriculture.
While everyone loves a bouquet of fresh flowers, their journey to your front door isn’t always so beautiful. Flowers from large companies that are available year-round are primarily grown in Africa and South America. These blooms travel up to 6,000 miles in refrigeration before they arrive at your home. Transporting goods like flowers in refrigeration is a very resource-intensive process with a huge carbon footprint. It’s estimated that annual Valentine’s Day flower delivery from South America to the US via refrigerated air transport causes the equivalent CO2 emissions of 78,000 cars being driven for an entire year. Many times these mass-produced flowers are grown using harsh toxins, insecticides, and preservatives, which are detrimental to the workers that handle the blooms, nearby communities, and the environment. So consider this as your reminder to seek out a meaningful local gift that supports sustainable, local agriculture and small businesses before you dial 1-800-Blooms. 🤗
There are many environmental and social benefits of supporting local farmers. But perhaps most of all, by choosing to support local farms, your fresh flowers will be fresher, your food will be more flavorful, and your gifts will be more meaningful. Some ideas below:
