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No—bouquets are not automatically bad for the environment or a thing of the past. Their impacts depend on how the flowers were grown and how they were transported. A life-cycle assessment of roses shipped to Switzerland found lower impacts for the Fairtrade Kenyan roses it studied than for the Dutch roses in its comparison, with sea-freighted Kenyan roses performing particularly well for greenhouse-gas emissions and energy demand. That is a specific comparison, not a universal score for every bouquet.
Are bouquets bad for the environment?
There is no single environmental answer for all cut flowers. “Local” and “imported” do not tell the whole story: heated greenhouse production can be energy-intensive, while air freight adds emissions to imported flowers. In the rose assessment summarized by Fairtrade International, greenhouse heating was a major factor for the Dutch roses, while air freight was the largest impact for the Kenyan Fairtrade roses. Even so, the study found the air-transport emissions in its Kenyan comparison remained significantly lower than emissions from heating the Dutch greenhouses.
The assessment was commissioned by Fairtrade Max Havelaar Switzerland and Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund and covered production, packaging, and transport to Switzerland. It compared Fairtrade Kenyan roses flown by plane, Fairtrade Kenyan roses shipped by sea, and average Dutch roses; it also examined Dutch production using geothermal heat instead of natural gas. The Kenyan production data came directly from five Fairtrade producer organisations. Its functional unit was a bunch of 20 roses—not a measured emissions figure for an ordinary mixed bouquet. Fairtrade International’s 2024 summary of the 2023 assessment describes the methods and findings.
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The assessment considered more than climate emissions: its indicators included cumulative energy demand, water scarcity, biodiversity loss through land use, terrestrial acidification, and marine and freshwater eutrophication. A flower option that looks preferable on one measure may not rank the same way on another.
What the rose comparison does—and does not—show
| Option assessed | What the study found | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade Kenyan roses, air-freighted to Switzerland | Lower impacts than the assessed Dutch roses across the indicators analysed; air freight was the largest impact within this Kenyan system. | The Kenyan data represented five Fairtrade producer organisations, not every Kenyan grower or conventional production. |
| Fairtrade Kenyan roses, sea-freighted to Switzerland | Lowest impacts within the Kenyan systems assessed, particularly for greenhouse-gas emissions and cumulative energy demand. | Sea freight uses a refrigerated supply chain and takes longer; this is not a result for all flowers or destinations. |
| Average Dutch roses, including a geothermal-heat scenario | Greenhouse heating was a major factor for the Dutch roses in the comparison. | The assessment’s Dutch averages and geothermal scenario should not be treated as the footprint of every Dutch farm. |
The findings do not establish that Fairtrade certification itself caused the environmental difference; the study compares particular production and transport systems. Nor do they settle the impact of other flower species, seasonal local flowers, mixed bouquets, or flowers sold in markets outside Switzerland. There is no attributable universal footprint for a “typical bouquet” in the evidence summarized here.
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Why freight and the cold chain matter
Changing freight mode can change the result. In the Kenyan rose systems assessed, sea freight had the lowest impacts, particularly for climate emissions and cumulative energy demand. But flowers still need appropriate temperature control during slower shipment, so a sea-freighted bouquet is not simply an air-freighted one with the flight removed.
Sea freight for Kenyan flowers has expanded over time, according to COLEAD’s 2025 sector report, which cites Kenya Flower Council figures: two containers per week were shipped by sea in 2021, rising to about 25 per week by December 2023. These are dated sector logistics figures, not a calculation of any bouquet’s environmental impact.
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- Package Includes: Includes one piece (Diameter: 3.4 inches, Height: 7.9 inches). For detailed information, please see the size chart
How to choose flowers without relying on a single label
- Ask how they were grown. Greenhouse heating and electricity use can matter; distance alone cannot reveal those inputs.
- Ask how they travelled. Air and refrigerated sea freight have different impacts and delivery constraints. If the seller knows, ask about freight mode and the cold chain.
- Consider season and species, but avoid assuming a winner. The rose study does not quantify seasonal local flowers or other species against imported roses, so a reliable comparison needs information about the specific flowers and supply chain.
- Look for evidence tied to the actual source. “Local,” “imported,” or a certification label alone is not a complete life-cycle comparison. The rose assessment is useful because it names the systems and destination it examined.
What could reduce the cut-flower industry’s footprint?
A November 2025 study summary from PtX Hub and the Internationale Klimaschutzinitiative identifies fertiliser, diesel-powered transport, refrigeration, and air freight as important emissions sources in Kenya’s flower industry. It discusses green ammonia for fertiliser, sustainable aviation fuel, e-methanol for marine transport, and ammonia-based refrigeration as potential measures—not as solutions already deployed throughout the sector. The summary also notes barriers including immature technologies, competition for floral residues, unreliable grid conditions, reluctance to change freight modes, regulatory gaps, and limited coordination across the value chain. See the study summary and its recommendations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.So, are bouquets a thing of the past?
No. The evidence supports a more careful conclusion: flower production and transport systems matter, and imported flowers are not necessarily worse than local ones. The Switzerland-bound rose assessment found lower impacts for the Fairtrade Kenyan roses it studied than for its Dutch comparison, and lower impacts still for the sea-freighted Kenyan option on key measures. That finding can inform questions to ask about a bouquet, but it cannot rank every flower, farm, season, or market.
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