How Valentine's Day flowers are transported from Colombia to your local florist
Published Feb 14, 2020 9:00 PM EST
Over the years, red roses and flowers have become a hallmark of love, often gifted to loved ones as a token of appreciation on Valentine's Day. In the United States, an average of $2 billion is spent on flowers, mostly roses, each Feb. 14.
The origin of these flowers and the process of transporting them to the U.S., however, is one that many are not familiar with.
Almost all of the roses that are sold in the U.S. are flown into the country from Colombia. Due to Colombia's warm weather, the environment there is ideal for the growth of around 130,000 different plant species. In fact, Colombia has shipped more than four million flowers in just a year.
Since these flowers must travel thousands of miles before they even get to vendors, a preservation process is required to keep them alive after they’ve been cut. This process is known as the cold chain, which hinges on controlling perishable goods from the point of origin to the point of production, distribution and consumption. Cut flowers must be kept at maintained temperatures between 33 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the Colombian flowers land at Miami International Airport, the central hub for all U.S. floral imports, they are sent for inspection. It can take up to one day for flowers to clear customs, which can expose them to high temperatures -- up to 85 degrees F.
They then are sent to warehouses, where bouquets are prepped to be sent for retail.
Flowers are preserved and transported on refrigerated trucks as they are taken to the retailers, which is necessary for their conservation, but can be damaging to the environment -- cold trucks guzzle 25% more fuel than regular trucks.
As a result of a very extensive transportation process, the impact on the environment is put to question, as 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere in the process of flying the flowers from Colombia to the U.S.
Colombian flower producers have been working to find ways to be more sustainable by cutting down on energy and water use during the production process.
Florverde, a Colombian organization whose aim is to promote the production of sustainable flowers, has been working closely with flower farms all over the country to ensure more sustainable agriculture practices. As of 2018, 39% of all the flowers the country exports are inspected by Florverde to make sure they are grown sustainably.
As the demand for roses keeps growing with the popularity of Valentine's Day, the flower market is looking for more ways to help decrease its carbon footprint.
Director of Florverde, Ximena Franco, believes that the flower market has to change and be more aware of the resources that are used in the production process.
"Hydraulic resources are not only for the production of flowers," Franco said in a promotional video for the organization. "But a necessary resource for human life that needs to be taken care of and conserved."
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
How Valentine's Day flowers are transported from Colombia to your local florist
Published Feb 14, 2020 9:00 PM EST
Over the years, red roses and flowers have become a hallmark of love, often gifted to loved ones as a token of appreciation on Valentine's Day. In the United States, an average of $2 billion is spent on flowers, mostly roses, each Feb. 14.
The origin of these flowers and the process of transporting them to the U.S., however, is one that many are not familiar with.
Almost all of the roses that are sold in the U.S. are flown into the country from Colombia. Due to Colombia's warm weather, the environment there is ideal for the growth of around 130,000 different plant species. In fact, Colombia has shipped more than four million flowers in just a year.
Since these flowers must travel thousands of miles before they even get to vendors, a preservation process is required to keep them alive after they’ve been cut. This process is known as the cold chain, which hinges on controlling perishable goods from the point of origin to the point of production, distribution and consumption. Cut flowers must be kept at maintained temperatures between 33 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the Colombian flowers land at Miami International Airport, the central hub for all U.S. floral imports, they are sent for inspection. It can take up to one day for flowers to clear customs, which can expose them to high temperatures -- up to 85 degrees F.
They then are sent to warehouses, where bouquets are prepped to be sent for retail.
Flowers are preserved and transported on refrigerated trucks as they are taken to the retailers, which is necessary for their conservation, but can be damaging to the environment -- cold trucks guzzle 25% more fuel than regular trucks.
As a result of a very extensive transportation process, the impact on the environment is put to question, as 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere in the process of flying the flowers from Colombia to the U.S.
Colombian flower producers have been working to find ways to be more sustainable by cutting down on energy and water use during the production process.
Florverde, a Colombian organization whose aim is to promote the production of sustainable flowers, has been working closely with flower farms all over the country to ensure more sustainable agriculture practices. As of 2018, 39% of all the flowers the country exports are inspected by Florverde to make sure they are grown sustainably.
As the demand for roses keeps growing with the popularity of Valentine's Day, the flower market is looking for more ways to help decrease its carbon footprint.
Director of Florverde, Ximena Franco, believes that the flower market has to change and be more aware of the resources that are used in the production process.
"Hydraulic resources are not only for the production of flowers," Franco said in a promotional video for the organization. "But a necessary resource for human life that needs to be taken care of and conserved."
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo