Going green in shades of rose red and chocolate

“Produced with child labor,” “toxic,” “laced with pesticides and herbicides that have been banned in the U.S.”

Maybe not the words one might envision written on their bouquet of roses or on the box of chocolates they receive this Valentine’s Day, but if truth in advertising is what consumers are looking for…

Or, how about looking at Valentine’s Day a little differently this year? Everybody loves a bouquet of beautiful red roses or a box of scrumptious chocolates, but at what cost? This Feb. 14, people can really show their loved ones they care by purchasing flowers and candy everybody can feel good about.

The Organic Consumers Association provides tips on how to “unchain your heart” by giving fair-trade and organic chocolate and flowers this Valentine’s Day.

“Over 40 percent of the world’s conventional chocolate (i.e. non-organic and non-fair-trade) comes from Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), where the International Labor Organization (ILO) and U.S. State Department have reported widespread instances of child slavery. Exploitation of cacao farmers and farm workers is the norm in the chocolate industry,” the association states on its Web site.

They point out that organizations such as the Pesticide Action Network (PAN North America) have stated that flowers produced in Columbia and other countries “are the most toxic and heavily sprayed agricultural crops on Earth.”

That is in addition to the thousand of miles racked up by the three cargo planes that leave Columbia every day to transport flowers all over the globe, according to The Eco-Foods Guide by Cynthia Barstow. Columbia ranks second behind Holland and ahead of Ecuador as the top flower exporters to the U.S.

Since organizations such as the Organic Consumers Association started to educate consumers, half of Colombia’s flower acreage has become Florverde Certified – described by Augusto Solano, president of Asocolflores, the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters, as “a third-party certification program that represents a commitment to social and environmental responsibility by Colombian flower growers.”

Other changes, as reported in “Poisoned Petals – Health Watch: Why Organic Flowers,” include establishment of a “humane and ecologically sustainable production of cut flowers” through the flower label program established by human rights organizations, such as the Food First Information and Action Network.

The Flower Label program, initiated by FIAN, has been adopted by about 10 percent of Ecuadorian floriculture business.

In addition, “The Rainforest Alliance, in concert with the Sustainable Action Network, is developing floriculture standards that would prohibit use of chemicals banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the European Union, and the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization.”

Going organic and fair-trade for Valentine’s Day is now easier than ever.

Many local supermarkets now carry fair-trade items, such as chocolate, as do specialty stores. Ask a florist today the origin of their flowers, if they are certified by any of the organizations trying to make a difference in the lives of the flower workers and the environment. And when possible, buy local to eliminate transport.

For more information on where to buy organic flowers and fair trade and organic chocolates, visit http://www.organicconsumers.org/valentines/index.cfm or www.localharvest.org online.