According to fairtrade.org.uk, the cut flower industry is becoming increasingly important to the economies of developing counties, bringing in vital foreign exchange for investment in economic development. The cut flower industry had a reputation of poor working conditions for a long time including low pay, over-crowded housing and no representation by trade unions. Fairtrade aims to protect and benefit workers on flower farms by working with certified farms to ensure decent working conditions for their employees and protecting their rights.
One of the farms that is Fairtrade certified is a Kenyan based rose farm, named Panda Flowers Ltd. The farm is on a 40 hectare greenhouse and employs around 1000 workers. The greenhouses are equipped with the newest technologies which enables the company to grow 18 varieties of roses. The roses are exported worldwide, but mainly to Europe. The company is a good example of producing good quality products with happy workers.
In 2003, the company was Fairtrade certified and since then, many projects have been carried out. A couple of examples are the dairy projects, poultry projects, community projects, housing projects, and home improvement projects. In all these projects, the premium funds assist workers in getting items at subsidized prices.
The projects that have been carried out by Panda Flowers
"The workers are very happy and this is clearly visible when visiting the farm, you will only see smiling faces, they are happy to work at Panda flowers and are therefore working hard."
For more information
Panda Flowers Ltd.
Stella Kimotho
Email: stella@pandaflowers.co.ke
www.pandaflowers.co.ke