The damaging thorn in Kenya’s blooming trade

Roses are Kenya’s second-biggest export and thousands of them will be bought by Irish consumers today.

But flower farms are fighting accusations about the environmental cost being paid for a Western luxury. Amid the post-election violence in the east African country, Juno McEnroe visited its flower trade hub, Lake Naivasha, to investigate

A WAR of the roses threatened to overshadow Ireland’s love affair with foreign flowers last night as retailers were forced to defend the importation of millions of bouquets from Kenya.

Consumers fanning their flames of desire will today fork out hefty sums for that elusive perfect bloom. However, the high prices paid are unimaginable for Kenyan rose pickers, paid on average under €2 a day to work in giant humid greenhouses often the size of football pitches.

Kenya’s 23 billion shilling (€255 million) industry nearly collapsed last month ahead of its peak production period for St Valentine’s Day, when post-election violence swept across the east African country.

To help overcome the economic bruising left after clashes, European consumers were encouraged this week to buy Kenyan flowers and back its second largest export.

Thousands of Kenyan roses are on sale across Ireland, including in Marks and Spencers where a dozen red roses are priced at €29, as well as in Tesco stores and in smaller wholesale markets. Consumers though are probably unaware, not only of meagre wages being doled out to rose pickers, but of the environmental harm being done to one of Africa’s most scenic wonders, Lake Naivasha, since the boom in Kenya’s flower trade began.

Ireland imported an estimated 1.5 million cut flowers and bunches of roses from Kenya in 2007.

Department of Agriculture sources and flower sellers say the figure is likely to be a multiple of this because of inconsistencies in import figures and flowers that are flown into Europe and repackaged to boost prices. However, scientists warn Lake Naivasha — a haven for wildlife — could become a turbid, poisonous pond in a matter of years.

Environmentalists say the threat is due to its increasing nitrate levels, the damage to its shores and the overuse of its once-pristine waters.

Many blame the burgeoning growth in Lake Naivasha’s cut flower business, which itself exported 81 million tonnes, or more than 70% of Kenya’s blooms, abroad last year, mainly to Europe.

Growers take more than 82 million litres of water a day from the lake to feed their roses.

This week, thousands of those roses will have crossed the globe ending up in vases on Irish tables.

This project was funded by the Simon Cumbers’ Media Challenge Fund.