[6] Of those flowers, imported cut flowers account for 80 percent,[7] with an estimated 5.6 billion stems sold annually imported from countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Thailand, Peru, Guatemala, Chile, India, Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Israel, Spain, Japan, Canada, Ethiopia, Australia, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe and France.
[8] In the U.S., cut flowers largely come from the west coast in California where blooms like daffodils, orchids and mums are grown.
[6] However, it has been stated that stiffer regulations are now in place in Colombia and Ecuador’s industries with bans on certain chemicals and minimum wage requirements.
[6] Labels such as “fair trade”, “organic” and “sustainable” are also placed on bouquets sold in grocery stores and through online retailers.
[14] Farm shares or community supported agriculture (CSAs) are also featuring fresh flowers as part of their annual subscription services, offering large to small bouquets that are collected weekly or bi-weekly alongside farm-grown fruits and vegetables.