Climate Crisis Threatens Valentine’s Day Tradition
Campaigners are sounding the alarm: the cherished tradition of gifting roses on Valentine’s Day is under siege due to the climate crisis. From Kenya to Colombia, nations nurturing these blossoms face mounting challenges like soaring temperatures, droughts, and vanishing glaciers. This spells trouble for the global rose industry.
In the UK, gardeners brace for earlier rose blooms alongside a surge in fungal diseases like black spot, warns a report by charity Christian Aid. The report scrutinizes key flower-producing countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Roses, symbols of romance, thrive in temperatures between 15-24°C, with ample sunlight and well-drained soil, the report notes. Over half of exported roses hail from East Africa and South America, regions increasingly battered by extreme weather.
East African nations, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda, anticipate hotter temperatures and more frequent extremes. Droughts, exacerbated by climate change, threaten water-intensive rose cultivation in these regions, imperiling growers’ livelihoods.
In Ecuador and Colombia, where roses flourish in cooler highlands, rising temperatures pose a grave threat. The report highlights glacier retreat in the Andes, forewarning water scarcity, compounding the challenges for rose growers.
Osai Ojigho of Christian Aid stresses the urgency for governments to halt new oil and gas drilling, invest in clean energy, and bolster climate finance. The Netherlands, a major producer, faces rising temperatures but also heightened risks of flooding and drought, which may disrupt rose cultivation.
Though roses grown in warmer climates have a lower carbon footprint, challenges persist with emissions from transport and refrigeration. Christian Aid advocates for taxing polluters and redirecting funds to aid those most affected by the climate crisis.
Patrick Mbugua of Wildfire Flowers in Kenya emphasizes the need for government policies to mitigate climate impacts and protect local economies. In the face of climate change, urgent action is imperative to preserve the timeless tradition of gifting roses on Valentine’s Day.
