As representatives from the flower-campaign and the flower trade had notified, fair trade roses were on offer in 16 cities in Germany. In autumn, other sorts of cut flowers will be on sale in German shops. The directorate establishes the test criteria and decides on the award of the label. The producing companies must regularly allow independent checks.
German consumers give out eight thousand million Marks for fresh cut flowers annually.
Thus the Federal Republic occupies a leading position in Europe. More and more flowers are coming from Third World countries. In many producer countries, there are no welfare standards, the businesses don't allow trade union representation, and there are no ecological guidelines for the use of pest control measures. Very often, children also work under these conditions. The new label will contribute to an improvement in working conditions and ecologically sustainable production.