Commercial greed - A threat to Kenya’s bed of roses

Roses are likely to be in great demand today as it is St Valentine’s Day, but we should give a thought to where the roses are coming from and the possible impact on society.

Most of the roses are from Kenya, where some 70% of the blooming and booming flower trade is located around Lake Naivasha, the country’s second largest freshwater lake.

The area has long been famous for its wildlife, as it was the setting for the late Joy Adamson’s famous book and award-winning film, Born Free. In recent years the areas has undergone a massive increase in population without the proper infrastructure to service that population explosion.