Valentine’s Day roses threatened by climate change, campaigners warn

Climate change is threatening the traditional gift of roses that lovers exchange on Valentine’s Day, campaigners have warned.

Countries ranging from Kenya to Colombia, where the blooms are grown, are facing climbing temperatures, drought and melting glaciers causing water scarcity – with the potential to impact the commercial rose industry.

And in the UK, gardeners are likely to see earlier blooming roses but also an increase of fungal diseases such as black spot on their favourite blooms, the report from charity Christian Aid said.

The aid agency is calling for a halt to new oil and gas drilling and urgent investment in clean energy to curb the emissions driving climate change.

It is also calling for increases in climate finance to help poorer countries adapt, with rose growers supported to diversify their income and develop more resilient strains.

Christian Aid also wants to see polluters, such as the oil and gas industry, to be taxed for the damage they are doing and the money fed into funding for those most affected by climate change.

The report looks at the countries that produce cut flowers including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Ecuador and Colombia.

Roses – the romantic symbol of love widely given on Valentine’s Day – prefer temperatures of about 15-24C, at least six hours of sunlight a day and free draining soil that does not dry out, the report said.

More than half (59%) of all exported roses come from five countries in East Africa and South America which face growing threats from extreme weather.

The East African countries: Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, are set to see continuing temperature increases, with hotter and more frequent extremes.

And droughts in the region from 2020 to 2022 were found to have been made 100 times more likely by climate change – bad news for water-intensive rose production and the growers that rely on the industry for income.

In Ecuador and Colombia, the cooler, high altitude areas where roses tend to be grown are expected to see the greatest temperature increases, with extreme temperatures predicted to rise significantly.

Glacier retreat is also a major issue in the tropical Andes, risking water scarcity, the report warned.

The Netherlands, the world’s biggest producer, has seen rising temperatures, which may reduce the heating needed for greenhouses, but a greater risk of winter flooding and summer droughts may not favour rose bushes.

Roses themselves have a climate impact, with blooms grown in the Netherlands requiring greenhouses heated by gas.

The climate footprint of roses grown in warmer parts of the world is significantly lower, but still leads to emissions from air transport and refrigerated facilities, the report said.

Osai Ojigho, director of policy and public campaigns at Christian Aid, said: “Roses are a special part of the Valentine’s Day tradition but, with many of them grown in parts of the world vulnerable to climate change, their future is far from rosy.

“We need to see far more urgent action from governments to invest in renewables and also commit the needed climate finance to help farmers adapt to a climate crisis they did almost nothing to cause.”

Patrick Mbugua, general manager of Wildfire Flowers, Kenya, said: “We’ve seen increased disease pressure due to unusual weather patterns, sometimes we have excessive hot weather which sees a jump in the number of pests and, other times, unusually low temperatures which increases fungal infections, reducing yields.

“It is paramount for governments to have clear policy regarding reducing emissions and developing other interventions that can help with climate change.

“Governments must especially safeguard local economies and social wellbeing from the impacts of emissions,” he urged.