Sustainable Floristry Network
The Sustainable Floristry Network is a global industry organisation that exists to champion sustainable floral design and lead florists towards sustainable business and design systems.
Ironically for an industry deeply connected to nature, modern floral design and floriculture is unsustainable at many levels. The cut-flower industry must undergo significant change if we are to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
The SFN’s mission is to lead floral design to more sustainable practices through education, certification, behaviour change and advocacy.
In 2022, we will launch our continuing professional development program for florists with the Foundation in Sustainable Floristry online course. This will include a simple certification stamp and a consumer awareness campaign to help increasingly motivated consumers to identify certified florists and make more sustainable choices.
Our course will teach florists why environmental and equity issues matter and how to run their business more sustainably. Our consumer awareness program will teach customers about the issues behind their flowers, and how to make more sustainable purchases.
Our website will serve as a living knowledge bank for sustainable floristry practices. We also have a network of ambassadors – working florists committed to sustainability – who work with us to share our message throughout the floristry community.
The SFN also supports and is supported by an international network of industry leaders, teachers, academic authorities, and NGOs. We are evidence-based, support scientific rigour and reject greenwashing.
As it stands, floristry is rife with the use of single use plastic sundries, including floral foam, wraps, ribbons and vessels, and a range of associated products that are destined for landfill disposal.
Flowers often travel halfway around the world in aeroplanes to reach their destination, generating large carbon and chemical footprints in the process.
Conventional floriculture also involves the use of large amounts of pesticides, energy and water, and intensive growing centres can place great pressure on local ecosystems.
The cut flower industry also has its own share of social justice issues, particularly in large flower farms in developing countries. There have been frequent reports of labour rights violations in these farms, where the workforce is largely female.
Without transparent supply chains, florists cannot reliably assess the provenance of their flowers. Neither, obviously, can consumers.
We believe there should be no waste or inequity in floristry. Our vision is to see the global industry align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and exist within a circular economy.
In the meantime, when purchasing flowers think:
1. Local and seasonal - to minimise environmental footprint
2. A hand-tied bunch for a vase - minimise need for plastic supports & packaging.
3. No plastic floral foam - this product has no place in sustainable floral design.
