Alumni Blog

Going Green on Valentine’s Day

Many people in my Ecuadorian community, San Luis, work in flower plantations. Fair-trade flowers are a small step towards ensuring that flower plantations improve their conditions and provide equitable wages.

The wages paid for a single day of work in an Ecuadorian flower plantation are roughly the equivalent of a single hour of minimum wage work in Canada: $8. During my time in Ecuador the family of one of my fellow Intercordians, Wajnaa, was able to procure a loan in order to stop working in a plantation. They purchased several cows and went into business for themselves. It was incredible to see them get the opportunity to make the life that they desired.

Anyway, that’s why I have a personal interest in this article:

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/02/11/green-flowers.html

“Going green on Valentine’s Day can mean buying freshly cut flowers that carry a fair-trade stamp — indicating they’re easier on the environment and workers, say florists.”

Happy Valentine’s alumni!