It is hot and humid there. Under the greenhouses of this Kenyan farm, in perfectly aligned rows, red, white, orange or mauve roses rub shoulders. Strolling through the aisles, Samson Philip commented passionately: ” I love “named after a French perfume because “they smell very good”, or even those that grow right next to it, his favorites for “the way they open”. The young Kenyan works on the production of these roses and he is proud of the nearly 200 varieties that Red Lands Roses grows.
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35 kilometers from Nairobi, the farm covers 28 hectares. Here, there are no tractors, everything is done on foot or by bike, accompanied by some 400 sheep that roam and mow the lawns. At the entrance, solar panels provide nearly 30% of the electricity used on the farm. Under its greenhouses, the roses grow according to a hydroponic culture, above ground. They receive water harvested from the rains, mixed with a set of fertilizers, then what is not consumed by the flowers is recovered, treated and reused.
70% of flowers go to Europe
While Red Lands Roses prides itself on its environmental approach, Kenyan flower farms are often the subject of criticism. Firstly because of their carbon footprint. Kenya exports almost all of its production to the four corners of the world: 70% goes to Europe, the rest can be sent to Russia, Japan, Australia or even the United Arab Emirates.
Faced with criticism, Disha Copreaux, the CEO of Red Lands Roses defends herself: “You have to consider the whole production process. A rose grown in the Netherlands in February will grow in a heated and lighted greenhouse, it is not better for the environment. » Kenya, on the other hand, offers a favorable climate for growing roses all year round: hot days followed by cooler nights and sunshine from around 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In this East African country, growing roses is therefore an integral part of the landscape, whether through the perfectly aligned rows of greenhouses bordering Lake Naivasha, a hundred kilometers from the capital, or in the bouquets sold on the roadside of Nairobi. The floriculture industry is indeed huge for the Kenyan economy. It is one of its main export sectors. It represents nearly 2% of GDP. Above all, the sector creates employment. Still not very mechanized, it supports no less than two million employees, according to figures from the Kenya Flower Council, the body that oversees the industry.
High dose pesticides
Beyond the high carbon footprint, environmentalists blame flower farms for affecting the Kenyan ecosystem. They are often criticized for using high-dose pesticides, for discharging their untreated wastewater into Lake Victoria, or for drying up water resources to water their crops. “The industry today has nothing to do with what it was twenty years ago”, defends Clement Tulezi, director general of the Kenya Flower Council. “We work closely with government environmental protection agencies, and a lot of effort has been made to limit our impact on nature. »
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The organization has notably developed its own certification, without which producers cannot export. “Specific criteria have been established to control wastewater and waste treatment systems, energy and water consumption of farms, and their use of fertilizers and chemicals », assures the director. Producers are also encouraged, he says, to use rainwater to water their plantations, to install solar panels or to make their own compost.
However, it is difficult to verify whether all the farms have followed suit. The smallest structures are often singled out as bad students in the industry. “We don’t rest on our laurels, we constantly seek to improve”, insists Clement Tulezi. “We are very concerned about the environment and we do everything to protect it. »