Warning issued over toxic flowers

Flowers are currently the only perishable product sold in Australia that does not require ‘Country of Origin’ labelling, a potentially dangerous loophole that could exposure consumers to serious health issues.

The flower industry’s leading body is ramping up calls for ‘Country of Origin’ labelling with Australians unknowingly buying native flowers, such as Kangaroo Paw, that have been grown overseas and dipped in toxic chemicals for up to 20 minutes before sale.

Flower Industry Australia is lobbying the federal government on behalf of the $600 million-a year-industry and consumers to introduce labelling that will help buyers identify locally-grown flowers when they shop.

“When you sniff a bunch of roses in the supermarket, you might be sniffing chemicals,” says FIA director and flower grower Michael van der Zwet.

“The flowers are fumigated with methyl bromide and dipped in glyphosate before they are sent to Australia.

“Everything you buy from a supermarket has to have a label – except for cut flowers.”

The industry is concerned most consumers are not aware of the potential dangers of buying flowers grown overseas, and that the requested labelling changes will not be passed without more concerted public pressure.

Overseas flower imports ramped up in 2012, driven by demand from supermarket chains.

In the 2019-2020 financial year, Australia imported $74.2 million worth of cut flowers from countries including Kenya, Colombia, Ecuador, China and Malaysia, according to Horticulture Australia.

“Local growers couldn’t compete,” says NSW Flower Growers group secretary Sal Russo of the rise of imports.

“We had 300 rose growers in Australia, now it’s down to about 30 and that’s a result of cheap imports being brought into Australia.”

COVID has brought the crisis within the flower industry to a head, with increased freight costs due to a lack of international flights contributing to a drop in imports and creating flower shortages which the decimated local industry is working hard to meet.

In Queensland, Currey Flowers owner Sonia Bitmead has worked seven days a week for almost 18 months to meet demand, growing 13,000 Gerberas and 60,000 Roses in greenhouses across 2.5 acres.

“There’s been an Australia-wide shortage of flowers at times during COVID,” she said.

“It has really made people think about where their flowers are coming from.”

Industry veteran and Melbourne florist Michael Pavlou said the volume and variety of cut flowers coming in from overseas is staggering and now even extends to beloved natives including Kangaroo Paws.

“Australia used to be the main exporter of Kangaroo Paws but Africa has taken over as the main producer, to the point where now we are importing them from Kenya and Ecuador,” he said.

Stakeholders agree the rise of overseas cut flowers has been driven by economics, with foreign growers paying as little as $7 a week to their labourers, allowing importers to undercut local produce.

Late last year, the Australian flower industry united to promote Australian-grown flowers with 150 FIA members beginning a campaign to introduce Country of Origin labelling.

“It’s not about saying no to imports,” FIA chief executive Anna Jabour said.

“It’s about choice. We are a collective of growers, scientists, retailers, wholesalers, teachers and stylists who feel that now is the right time.

“Our submission calls for flowers to be divided into sections: international, local and those that are mixed.”

Sal Russo, who is also a director at FIA, says 70 per cent of supermarket flowers are grown overseas but which 70 per cent is anyone’s guess.

“Labelling is a question of choice,” he said.

“We have that choice in foodstuffs [a new country of origin food labelling system came into effect in 2018]. We don’t have that with flowers. Consumers deserve to know so they can make informed choices.”

While the industry waits for a decision on Country of Origin labelling from the government, independent wholesalers have started taking matters into their own hands, with online flower supplier Flowerhub designing its own country of origin flag and a new wholesaler, launching on the Gold Coast next week, that will divide its stock by imported and local.

“Consumers got behind milk and once they realised what they were unknowingly doing to our local producers, there was a complete 180 on consumers’ attitudes to price,” Mr Pavlou said.

“Get in touch with your local MP and let them know that this is an issue you care about.”

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