Flowers from afar: why many florists and consumers firmly reject imported flowers

Inspiring content created with complementary products was a perfect opportunity: great visibility for her, and an ideal showcase for the supplier. But everything changed the moment she learned where the flowers came from. “South America? Oh no, I could never justify that to my followers.” And just like that, the collaboration collapsed. Not because the flowers were subpar, quite the opposite. Not because of poor working conditions or concerns about quality. But because the negative image surrounding imported flowers weighed heavier than the facts.

Imported flowers are a constant source of debate. You can feel it every day in sales, says Bastiaan Houwink, Team Coordinator for France. He often hears from sales colleagues that customers back out the moment the word import is mentioned. Not because of bad experiences, but because they believe using these flowers is inherently wrong.

“They really don’t know how things actually work. There’s simply a widespread negative perception of imported flowers: supposedly polluting, unethical, and mass-produced. That narrative has been fueled for years by stories in mainstream and social media.” And the perception sticks, even among professionals. Ironically, many of these same florists happily use cut foliage from Costa Rica or Canada. Or hop on a plane themselves from Paris to Milan for a photoshoot. But a flower that flies? That’s a problem.

Every year, the sentiment resurfaces. “Around Valentine’s Day,” Bastiaan sighs, “French media reliably publish negative pieces about imported flowers. Photos of strangely colored lakes in Kenya, reports about pesticide use on roses… unfortunately, we’ve grown used to it.”

But last year, things escalated. The debate was reignited by a tragic incident: a young girl, the daughter of a florist, passed away from leukemia. Several news outlets strongly suggested her illness was caused by pesticides on imported flowers from Ecuador. For weeks, images, interviews, and emotional commentary dominated the headlines. Newspapers, TV, and social media all amplified the story.

For many French consumers and florists, this became a turning point. Emotions ran high. Outrage grew. Even though many questions remained unanswered, public opinion had already shifted: imported flowers suddenly represented pollution, health risks, and unfair production.

The impact was enormous, says Bastiaan. “There were weeks when customers were truly unsettled. Some florists temporarily refused to buy imports altogether. And some never reversed that decision.”

Bastiaan believes the issue isn’t florists’ intentions, it’s the lack of accurate information. “A lot of customers think they understand the situation, but they only know the negative exceptions. Just a small slice of the full story. They cling to what they’ve heard in the media and judge the entire sector based on a single incident. A serious incident, absolutely, I’m not downplaying it. But it’s far from the whole picture.”

He sees two distinct groups emerging:

• The conscious florist, who chooses local and understands the reasons

• The principled florist, who rejects imports without knowing the facts

“And it’s that second group I struggle with,” he admits. “It’s frustrating and sometimes makes me feel powerless. The image of that ‘distant flower’ is simply negative. And it will stay that way until the floriculture industry puts all the facts on the table.”

So what facts are we talking about? And what role can a trading company like FM Group play in this?

In Part 2 of Flowers from afar, we dive deeper into the realities behind imported flowers.