Guest guest Posted February 8, 2006 Report Share Posted February 8, 2006 An organic Valentine's Day "Love, truth, and the courage to do what is right should be our own guide posts on this lifelong journey," wrote civil rights leader Coretta Scott King. The courage to love others drives both romantic relationships and social change. This year on Valentine's Day, celebrate this spirit in those you love with gifts of hope that support fair and healthy conditions for workers and independent businesses. Fair trade chocolates and organic flowers send the message that your love inspires you to change the world. Although these gifts may cost a bit more than their conventional counterparts, they offer the priceless gift of creating a society of greater equity, health, and peace -- the sort of place you want your friends and family to live in. See below for resources to find fair trade and organic Valentine's gifts near you. In contrast, behind the facade of "perfect" conventional roses lies an industry based on labor exploitation and pesticide poisoning of women and children -- a jarring disconnect from the noble feelings that drive demand for flowers on Valentine's Day. The United States imports millions of roses every year from Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico. Because flowers are nonfood commodities, they are exempt from pesticide testing, allowing flower growers to rely heavily on toxic chemicals that also poison their workers. As many as 70% of floriculture workers in Ecuador and Colombia are women, and in Ecuador another 20% are children. Young children and infants, whether exposed directly to pesticides in the fields and greenhouses or to residues in the home, are particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposure. A study of Colombian greenhouses documented the use of 127 different pesticides. The study also showed that mothers exposed to pesticides at work had higher rates of spontaneous abortion (2.2 times) and premature birth (1.9 times) than mothers not occupationally exposed to pesticides. In 2003, a particularly shocking episode of pesticide poisoning in a Colombian greenhouse sent 348 workers to the hospital with acute symptoms including fainting, strong headaches, nausea, swelling, rashes, diarrhea, and sores inside and around the mouth. Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 110, Number 5, May 2002 . Special issue focusing on pesticides in the flower industry. Caroline Collard World's first fully certified organic skin, body, oral and health care products www.happyandhealthy.org.uk Win a BlackBerry device from O2 with . Enter now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.