RADICCHIO, NOT ROSES 2024

BACK SEASONALITY

IN FEBRUARY, ROSES ARE NOT IN SEASON IN THE UK

They are imported from overseas countries including Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya and the Netherlands.[2]

In East Africa and South America, the climate is most conducive to growth at this time of year. In theory, this means the artificial heating and lighting of greenhouses as well as the use of harmful fertilisers and pesticides can be kept to a minimum.[2] In reality, large-scale, monoculture rose plantations have a detrimental social and environmental impact.

MEET THE WOMEN WITHIN THE WORKFORCE

Cultivation in these regions is also linked to negative social effects.[3] Roses are predominantly picked by a huge workforce of women who face more exploitative working conditions than their male counterparts and are paid below the living wage.[4] Plus, they are exposed to the toxins in fertilisers, insecticides and preservatives used to extend the life of blooms.[2] Overtime is generally compulsory and is particularly common at certain times of the year, such as Valentine’s Day.[5]

ROSE PRESERVATION LEAVES ITS IMPRINT ON THE EARTH

Each stem requires 10 litres of water to reach full size, contributing to high water use and chemical runoff. Depleting resources, some claim that drought-stricken Lake Naivasha in Kenya has seen half of its water drawn off for use in nearby greenhouses.[6]

Finally, stems are sprayed with chemicals, refrigerated and wrapped in plastic to withstand up to 6,000 miles in aeroplane holds.[7] Transported at speed, emissions are intensified, with an imported mixed bouquet producing ten times more carbon emissions than British-grown alternatives.

CLOSER TO HOME DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN 'BETTER'

Meanwhile, in colder countries like the Netherlands, the heating and lighting of greenhouses through winter results in three times the carbon footprint of Ecuadorian roses.[8]

To boycott imported blooms could cause major socio-economic collapse in those countries affected, but that does not mean we have to accept the current status quo. The key is conversation.

PRESERVE GROWING ARTISTRY

GROWING ARTISTRY ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

Veneto, in Italy’s northeast, has maintained a long tradition of radicchio growing. For centuries wild chicory has been eaten here, thriving in the heavy, mineral-rich soils and fluctuating temperatures that drop below freezing for weeks at a time.

TRADITIONAL FORCING ELEVATES FLAVOUR

However, these plants were elevated into a delicacy through careful selection, the passing on of traditional wisdom, and the development of an innovative cultivation process: forcing. After an initial period of outdoor growth, growers would re-plant their chicories in the dark, their roots often immersed in soil, spring water or sand. Triggered into new growth without photosynthesis, nutrient-dense, bittersweet and firm heads would form. By 1900 there were whole exhibitions celebrating these qualities.

Today, however, a different story dominates. Most growers opt for modern varieties designed to self-blanch in the field. The result: higher yields but depleted flavour in dull or overly bitter heads.

OUR GROWERS CHOOSE FLAVOUR OVER YIELD

A decade ago we came across Antonello’s chicories at the Lusia market in Veneto. From their striking colours to their densely packed heads, we recognised quality that only comes as a result of genuine artistry. Since then, we have built relationships with a number of small-scale, traditional growers going against the odds— Luca, Damiano and Torre.

CLIMATE CHANGE ACCELERATES THE THREAT

This year, it’s more than yield which threatens production: it’s climate change. With winters getting warmer, the hard, cold frosts so vital to the process are happening later and less frequently. As a result, Antonello has not been able to grow one of his usual varieties — Castelfranco — for the first time.

CHOOSE FLAVOUR, NOT WASTE

RADICCHIO IS EATEN, NOT WASTED AT END OF LIFE

Deep purple with tight, curled leaves or rosette-shaped with red speckles, bright red with crisp white veins or all hues of pink; we challenge you to find flowers more striking and vibrant than these radicchio heads.

In the UK, around 34,700 tonnes of cut flowers are used and wasted every year. At end of life, these are either sent to landfill, or home composted — a risk to soil health if those flowers have been grown and preserved with harmful chemicals.

At the end of their life as centrepieces, radicchio plants are eaten, not wasted. Their bittersweet complexity makes them ideal for cold-weather salads. Try with lemon, anchovy and garlic dressing or preserved lime and rose vinegar. Mix with fennel and blood orange or try it wrapped around hot smoked trout and kabocha squash onigiri (as an alternative to seaweed).

References

1. Valentine’s Day Floral Statistics
2. BBC, The 4,000 Mile Flower Delivery
3. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, A comparison of cut roses from Ecuador and the Netherlands
4. Gender, Rights & Participation in the Kenya Cut Flower Industry
5. Socio-economic and Environmental Impact of Floriculture Industry in Ethiopia
6. Circle of Blue, Blooming Controversy: What Is Killing the Wildlife in Kenya’s Lake Naivasha?
7. Flowers From the Farm, The Carbon Footprint of Flowers
8. TED, The Environmental Impact of Cut Flowers? Not So Rosy

Additional Reading

The Financial Times, How Green is Your Bouquet? The New Eco-Friendly Mindset in Floral Design
Live Frankly, Seasonal Flowers UK: Sustainable Flower Delivery
The Guardian, Roses are Dead … How to Choose a More Ethical and Original Bouquet this Valentine’s Day
Primrose Creations, Flower Waste Management: Can the Floral Industry Make a Change?
Centre for Environmental Policy Environmental Quality Research Group, Cut Flower Waste Management