Cutting, categorizing, and packing Colombian flowers for export

500 million Colombian Flowers to be Exported for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the Colombian flower industry is working hard to meet the demands of their most important customer: the United States. In just over three decades Colombia has become the world’s second largest flower exporter after the Netherlands and this year, an estimated 500 million flowers will be exported in time for February 14th.

The United States receives almost 80% of the flowers grown in Colombia with the remaining blossoms being shipped to Canada, Europe, and sometimes even further. Additionally, the industry generates direct and indirect employment for hundreds of thousands of people in flower shops, supermarkets, importers, trucking companies, and airlines, not to mention the suppliers who provide materials to create the bouquets you see at supermarkets and florists.

Asocolflores (Colombian Association of Flower Exporters) president Augusto Solano estimates that on average, Valentines Day sales make up 12% of the industry’s total annual profit and in the days leading up to February 14 there will be almost 30 flights a day transporting flowers from Colombia to Miami. 15,000 flower stands and 22,000 supermarkets in the U.S. will be selling Colombian flowers including roses and carnations.

In recent years, efforts to build a more sustainable industry led to the creation of FlorVerde, a social and environmental program that encourages members to abide by certain codes of good environmental practices like reduced use of pesticides, recycling, and water conservation. FlorVerde also extends special services to their employees including housing benefits, education, and childcare. Nearly 60% of the Colombian flower industry workers are women, many of whom are heads of household.