Most Americans purchase roses only once or twice a year. But do they ever think about where these roses come from? Do they ever consider what it takes to get them to their local market just in time for their purchase?
The flower industry is dominated by only a few major countries: 83% of the world's cut flowers come from Holland (40% of production value), Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya; and 73% of the cut-flower production is imported by Germany, the U.K., the U.S., Holland and France.
Chances are that the roses purchased for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day came from Colombia. According to Asocolflores, the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters, three out of every four flowers sold in the U.S. are grown in Colombia, making it the number one exporter of flowers to the U.S. Flowers are also Colombia's second leading agriculture export, distributed to 89 countries, making the country the number two exporter worldwide. Together, the industry accounts for the second-leading agriculture export in Colombia. Similar to the coffee industry, Colombian flower producers are part of growers associations. Currently, the firms are split between two organizations. Asocolflores represents the large exporters, while Fedeflores represents the medium- to small-sized Colombian-owned farms.
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