From Change.org: After receiving letters from over 50,000 Change.org members concerned about worker exploitation in the cut flower industry, 1-800-Flowers has responded with a slew of responsible practices. And in doing so, they have emerged as a leading company in ethical sourcing practices.
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Don’t use 1-800-Flowers this Valentine’s Day
From Change.org - Please sign the petition & share with your friends on Facebook:
Valentine’s Day, which accounts for 40% of fresh flower sales annually, is fast approaching.
If you’re planning to order a bouquet from 1-800-Flowers — the world’s largest florist — you should know where most of those flowers really come from.
At flower farms in Ecuador and Colombia — the countries that export the most to the U.S. — two-thirds of the workers are women. These women are routinely subjected to harassment and even rape from their male supervisors. They suffer eye infections and miscarriages from consistent contact with dangerous pesticides.
In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, they’re routinely forced to work 80-hour weeks with no overtime pay. Attempts to form a union are met with opposition by police and armed forces.
Many retailers — such as Whole Foods and Stop & Shop – have taken the important first step of offering Fair Trade flowers to consumers who want no part of these abuses. Fair Trade certified farms must adhere to strict standards for workers’ rights, which prevents the abuses described above.
1-800-Flowers is the largest florist in the world. Yet they offer no Fair Trade flowers at all.
Tell 1-800-Flowers to join other major retailers in offering Fair Trade flowers.
