One World Flowers is pleased to announce the opening of the Fleurish Florist floral design studio in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, specializing in sustainable floral design and “green” weddings. Fleurish Florist will be the first florist in Philadelphia to use Fair Trade Certified flowers, which will be supplied by One World Flowers. The company is a wholly woman-owned business founded by two sisters, Jane Cespuglio, owner and design director, and Susan Cespuglio-Bigler, owner and business manager. Fleurish Florists’ mission is to make the decision of going green a simple choice for clients hosting fair trade, eco-friendly events or fundraisers. Cespuglio commented, “As an architect, I have developed an in-depth awareness of issues of sustainability.”

 

Sustainable Design Principals

Fleurish Florists‘ design principles are based on the belief that customers do not need to sacrifice creativity, drama or excitement in exchange for choosing sustainable floral arrangements for weddings, events or corporate needs. Fleurish Florists employs eco-friendly techniques, ranging from the company’s choice of flowers and floral supplies, to its business structure and marketing strategy. Said Cespuglio, “I started Fleurish because I wanted to have a job that was a more hands-on approach to  design, while having an outlet of self-expression that was both useful and ethical.” To this end, Fleurish Florists purchases only certified Fair Trade Certified™, USDA organic, VeriFlora and local flowers to offset the impact the cut-floral industry has on the environment and people in third-world countries. Cespuglio-Bigler commented, “First and foremost, we feel it is the right thing to do to reduce our environmental impact and support a healthier and safer flower industry, but we also believe it makes good business sense.” In addition, Fleurish Florists never uses floral foam, which can be very harmful to the environment, and uses recycled-glass vases and ceramic containers created by local Philadelphia artists.

 

Wild Crafting – A Local Touch

The company also uses a technique called wild-crafting to create stunning visual floral arrangements for green weddings and other events. Wild-crafting is a design technique that relies on natural resources form the local Philadelphia area including branches, herbs, wildflowers, fruits and vegetables to create arrangements. Cespuglio added, “As a small firm focusing on eco-friendly events and corporate and   hospitality accounts, we can buy exactly what our customers need, cutting down on the waste and the industry practice of over-ordering.”

 

Environmental Commitment

Fleurish Florists composts all of its organic waste, recycles office materials and prints on 100 percent recycled paper with soy-based inks–with the goal of becoming a paperless business in the future. Said Cespuglio-Bigler, “This strategy will prove to be a more cost effective way to operate our business in the long-run. We’ll save money on paper costs by using e-mail and the Internet, as well as on energy costs by using more efficient coolers and equipment.” 

About Fleurish Florists

As a young design intern, Cespuglio spent nine years pursuing the art of floral design–starting out sweeping floors and cutting flowers, later developing into a talented designer with a Washington D.C. florist that specialized in Capital Hill events. Eventually she went on to become an award-winning registered architect with a Masters of Architecture from the Architectural Association in London.

With a keen business sense, 13-years experience in accounting and project management, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Susan Cespuglio-Bigler comes to Fleurish Florists with unique insight into the business of floral design. Her work experience with both small- and large-scale clients allows Cespuglio-Bigler to accommodate a full spectrum of needs, from one-on-one client relationships to the largest of wholesalers.

Fleurish Florists does business by appointment only at locations convenient to their clients. To make an appointment, e-mail info@fleurishflorist.com, call (215) 438-3841 or visit www.fleurishflorist.com.

 Fair Trade Certified flowers have been available in the United States for only two years, and are still not offered by most florists, grocers, or wholesalers. A large reason for this is the lack of understanding on what Fair Trade actually means, and how it’s different from the many different “green” labels that are currently available.

 

 

The Problem

Most of the Roses and other flowers sold in the United States come from outside our borders. In fact, over 70% of the cut flowers sold in the US come from Africa and South America. Workers on these floral farms are typically women and are often abused, paid unfairly, and forced to work outrageous hours to meet production quotas and keep their jobs. In addition, they are rarely given any protection from the many harmful chemicals and pesticides that are used on most farms. Because of these factors, the negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of the floral industry in developing countries are astounding.

 

The Confusing Solution

Over time, and with the rise of consumer awareness, many “green” labeling efforts have taken the initiative to make positive changes in the floral industry worldwide. However, consumers have good reason to question what these labels actually mean. Labels like FlorVerde, Veriflora, and Sierra Eco have all helped to reduce the impact of environmentally degrading growing practices in various ways.

 

Flowers with some of these labels may be offered at your local CO-OP and florists, and they are a great step forward in improving the floral industry worldwide. The problem for consumers is that these labels are often hard to differentiate between, and offer little solution to the many human rights abuses that mar the floral industry. In addition, consistency in what these labels mean from farm to farm has been far from stable, even in recent years.

 

 

Fair Trade Certification

Flowers and floral farms can only be certified as Fair Trade for the US market by TransFair USA. This international organization guarantees consumers that strict environmental, social, and economic criteria were met in the production and trade of your flowers. So, in addition to amending environmental abuses, Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.

According to TransFair USA’s website Fair Trade Certification includes these principles:

• Fair prices: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
• Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
• Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
• Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
• Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
• Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

To uphold these criteria, TransFair USA maintains close working relationships with certified farms, and is available to help each farm continue to develop its social and environmental programs. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label on Roses coming to your local soon and help support a truly sustainable initiative!

 

 

Alaina Paradise is the Owner of One World Flowers, a wholesale supplier of Fair Trade Certified Roses. Learn more at www.OneWorldFlowers.org.