Let's boycott flowers this Valentine's day

[sharptoothlemonshark]

Why are we still indulging in this outdated misogynistic behaviour of men giving women flowers and women accepting them?

The industry is rotten to the core, with women in Africa getting their lungs burnt out by pesticides so women in Western Europe can look at something useless but "pretty" ( - if you consider the forced, unnaturally bred genetically mutated exaggerations "pretty").

The environmental damage done by transporting them from country to country is immeasurable, never mind the sacrifice of land that could be used to grow food and lower food prices.

And how is it people who object to pesticides being used to grow food are ok with soil being smothered in the stuff to grow flowers? It all enters the same water course.

And what a waste of money it is! Surely your partners could use the money or something more personal and thoughtful?

YABU - I like receiving forced, genetically mutilated, unnatural instruments of environmental damage and disabling of women.

YANBU - lets inform our partners these are not acceptable Valentine's day gifts.

Where do you stand on cut flowers from one's own garden?

Yes, I do contact mass suppliers, mass consumers, politicians, etc, about this issue, which is one I feel strongly about, and many other people would feel strongly about if they had met the workers I have met and seen how disabled the industry has left them.

I have succeeded in getting several churches to stop buying into this market, and will continue to fight it.

Valentine's day seemed like a good opportunity to raise the issue on Mum's net

They don't cause any of the issues I have listed as concerns! They are generally much nicer as well

Your first paragraph was an odd take on feminism!

I suspect you want to draw attention to the bad working practices of some flower producers.

That’s not how you started this debate.

However, like many I buy British grown flowers or Dutch imports. Roses included.

However, you are not being unreasonable to point out African flower growing working conditions.

I'm not a great friend of the environment but I warmly agree with the OP, never thought before but it is a very old fashioned idea, ditto mothers day flowers. And I have never liked killing things to give as gifts, it seems just wrong. So I amaze myself by wholeheartedly defending OP against all the nasty sarky digs. Not getting rid of my gas guzzler just yet but already boycott sweatshops and cheap fashion, happy to add flowers 😊

My wife and I buy flowers for each other. They are fairtrade so made in safe conditions without pesticides. You can get fairtrade flowers in quite a few supermarkets for a reasonable price. Or buy English flowers. Many people breed plants of all kinds to look a particular way. As my wife and I are lesbians, are we excluded from the misogyny ban? Maybe you could change the campaign to 'flowers are only for lesbians'?

Valentine's day seemed like a good opportunity to raise the issue on Mum's net

By telling women they lack depth if they consider flowers pretty??
Bizarre approach.

Fyi. Second hand tech is no better than new tech.
It contains all the same shit as new tech. You are better off buying TCO approved.

I LOVE fresh flowers and have them in the house almost perpetually from about March until Oct or Nov.

They come from my allotment and definitely were not sprayed with pesticides.

As with so much, it's not the flowers that are the problem. It's the low standards humankind has for how we treat each other and nature.

I don’t get flowers for Valentine’s Day as I don’t like them in the house, I like them in the garden. I agree with another poster though your delivery has probably pissed more people off than making them think. Education works better as informative rather than just slagging off people who celebrate the event.

Is a man presenting a woman with flowers (cut from his own garden) not as "outdated misogynistic behaviour" as a man presenting a woman with flowers (from the petrol station)?

It's one thing to be concerned about human rights and the environment, but your OP conflated the issue with some tirade about how ugly you find flowers in general.

OP, you obviously aren't going far enough. 🙄
Why stop at Valentine's Day? Rail against using flowers for funerals, weddings and special occasions too.

And while you're at it, I believe that more cut flowers are imported into the UK from The Netherlands, (which admitedly does use several sources eg Israel) than from Africa. Kenya imports are even less than from South America.

Re cut flowers from Colombia, which is famous for its roses...
"The floriculture industry in Colombia did a lot for their people as it offers 200,000 formal jobs, of which 110,000 are direct. Of these direct jobs, 60% are occupied by women, of which 55% are head of household. In general, 28% of the total formal jobs in the agro are from the floricultural industry, and 70% of the total formal jobs in the agro are occupied by women from the floricultural industry."
And the meaning of misogynistic is....?

Re the use of pesticides and transport costs...
Don't this also apply to imported fruit and veg.
OP, I hope you only eat organical and local and also don't own anything made of cotton or a synthetic material.

I was completely unaware of issues around flower growing, and I do buy flowers all year round without a thought of where they come from. Will have a read up on it.

So, Sharptoothlemonshark, for what reason do you think these women are working in the flower industry?

If you think it's "so Western women can have flowers on Valentine's day" you'd be wrong.

It's "so they can feed and clothe their children, send them to school, and have a roof over their heads".

If Western Europe boycotts flowers this Valentine's day, as you suggest, what do you think will happen to these businesses? And to their employees? Do you think those women will thank you when they are destitute and their children have to leave school, because they are no longer employed?

By all means lobby for improved conditions, buy ethically produced flowers, pay extra for flowers grown in situations where workers are paid better and have greater personal protection.

Poverty and poor working conditions aren't solved by shutting down employment. It's by paying enough for a product to enable improvements and by lobbying for legislation that protects.

That's a terrible attitude. It doesn't hurt me so fuck them?!

So you’re happy for women in poorer countries to become disabled so you can buy cheap fruit and veg?

Fair enough @sharptoothlemonshark. I agree with other posters though that the way to get people to think about issues is to do it in a way that is not judgemental or attacking.

ok, I am listening! please demonstrate!

OP instead of being angry and ranting can you provide some links or point us in the right place to find out more?

I have never been aware of women become disabled because of flowers but I am interested to learn.

Your approach makes me back away though as an autistic demand avoidant I feel like buying flowers juts to spite you.

Consider your approach and people might listen

I understand your fair point about air miles.

Personally, don’t like cut flowers but we have a grower locally who would be in trouble if everyone did.

DH buys me a bunch of British daffodils

Nothing flown here

There are some lovely flower adverts on the thread.

I’ve got some lovely tulips in a vase, I’ve also got a really nice daff selection, some I haven’t really seen before. They look lovely on the bookcase. My husband bought me them, so thats even worse as he has deprived another woman of such a thoughtless gift!

Your points could have been made without ranting and allying the subject to perceived misogyny.

Perhaps you should have addressed it with a few links and evidence l demonstrating your reasons for disliking these flowers and ask if people could consider asking partners for other gifts.

instead you have come across like a bitter, smug know it all, with a hatred and alienation of women who enjoy receiving flowers and enjoy having pretty things in their house.

TBH I’d delete the thread, NC and start again with a different approach as your OP is not going to gain much support

Fair Trade flowers are available - M and S do them. Mot sure about the chems though, you'd think not with fair trade?