The Eco-Social Dimension of the Worldwide Cut Rose Business
J. Balas, E.D. Salvador and M.P. Jayatilleke
Program and Abstract. Australasian Postharvest Horticulture Conference. Royal Lakeside Novote., Rotorua, New Zealand. 27-30 September 2005. July 5-10, 2005. Page 43
2005
บทคัดย่อ
The Eco-Social Dimension of the Worldwide Cut Rose Business
Internationalization of horticultural plant production, and within this field especially cut ornamental flowers has been increasing strongly during the recent decades. Nowadays production of ornamental plants is more and more leaving the main centres of consumption (EU, USA, Japan) to developing countries. Cut-flower growing, and mainly cut-rose-growing as the most important crop in it, was heavily transferred because of several reasons to southern countries/the southern hemisphere: More favourable climatic conditions, lower labour costs, lower social standards, less restrictive environmental regulations, less stringent public control are some of the most relevant reasons. In the early 1980's reports were published on working circumstances in Latin American countries. Some of them accused public discussions and called for efforts to improve the social situation, the working conditions as well as environmental impact of production. Floriculture is strictly market-oriented and being net-worked internationally, this only can happen on voluntary levels. In the meantime quality management systems, "responsibility" and "sustainability" have become multi-faceted and sometimes different evolving concepts in floribusiness. Efforts to guarantee at least a minimum of social and environmental responsibility and systems and ways of certification and labeling were introduced. Their relevance, potential and impact as a suggested main parameter in a global quality-approach for international cut rose supply chains will be discussed and case-examples will be used to present different concepts of certification and labeling.