Most people don’t eat flowers. But they are an important source of food security because of the income they bring to thousands of people — most of them women — in developing countries.And yet flowers have not, until recently, been held to the same ecological or health standards that pertain to edible agricultural products. US and European regulations on chemical residues for flowers, for example, are less stringent than for food. Moreover supermarkets, where cut flowers and bouquets prepared in the country of origin are increasingly being sold, have exacting cosmetic standards and cannot afford to sell flowers damaged by pests. All these factors raise the potential risk of exposure for workers. [ read more ]

Source: www.fao.org

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