FLORISTRY / 07
Susan Lynch and The Flower Farmers of Ireland make the case for Irish flowers by Irish Growers
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quiet revolution is underway. There’s never been a better time to source locally grown flowers, there are growers all over the island. We could do more, though, to get those flowers into customers’ hands and homes. Irish flower farmers are on the verge of hitting the mainstream, they just need a little help to spread the word. In the Summer 2017 edition of this publication, Ruth Monahan said “How wonderful would it be to have a sustainable and environmentally mindful, fairtrade, cut flower industry here. The holistic world view of what could be achieved is mind blowing. If we could get this party started next July, we could be celebrating success in a field nearby.”
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A QUIET & COLOURFUL REVOLUTION Four years later, change IS happening. There is an everincreasing awareness of impending and irreversible climate change, groups of people all over the world are trying to do their bit. Scientists, farmers, politicians, and schoolchildren are all trying to change how we do things. More specifically, The Flower Farmers of Ireland, an umbrella organisation for cut flower producers, with more than fifty members all over the island, is working to deliver a sustainable product while supporting biodiversity, especially our beleaguered pollinators. Every year we see more new entrants seeking to build flower growing businesses. However, despite the fact that the Irish Government declared a climate and biodiversity emergency in
HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticultureconnected.ie / Summer 2021
