Flowers from France: A Real Trend in the Market
While France is known and recognized for its expertise infloral art, its flower production also deserves recognition, thanks to a network of committed and responsible growers. Although nearly 90% of the flowers purchased in France today come from abroad, there is a clear trend toward French-grown flowers. Sessile has more to share!
It’s a staggering figure: today, nearly 90% of the flowers sold in France come from abroad! Yet French flower production is indeed a long-standing tradition, and consumers are paying increasing attention to the origin of the products they buy.
The market situation is nonetheless extremely tense, as nearly 50% of French flower growers have gone out of business over the past decade due to competition from Dutch flowers and growers in Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya. This structure of the cut-flower market obviously results in concerning levels of CO2 emissions.
I find my bouquet of flowers
Slow Flower and Flowers of France: A Long-Term Trend
There are, however, reasons for hope. Among the trends toward a return to local production is the “slow flower” movement. Originating among horticulturists in the Anglo-Saxon world, this movement aims to promote a production and purchasing cycle that not only better complies with environmental standards but also benefits both consumers and producers—particularly by reducing the distance flowers must travel.
The Slow Flower approach supports local businesses by choosing nearby growers, while also ensuring a higher-quality product for customers, since the flowers travel less and therefore suffer less from packaging. In short: flowers that come from closer by and last longer!
Today, consumers are beginning to adopt this mindset, and many ask where the flowers come from when they visit a store. While many florists are trying to make more room on their shelves for French flowers, there is still a long way to go.
Labels Committed to Promoting French Flowers
To promote French flowers, a number of initiatives have been launched. First among them is the “Fleurs de France” label, created by the French government in 2015, which makes it easy to identify flowers produced by French horticulturists and nursery growers.
The same applies to the Collectif de la Fleur française, an organization dedicated to promoting French flowers, with the dual goal of safeguarding the unique characteristics of flowers grown in France while encouraging the adoption of more environmentally responsible consumption practices.
What about you? Is the origin of the flowers a real factor for you when choosing a bouquet? Feel free to share your thoughts with us!
Who are we?
Sessile champions the independence of artisan florists online. Founded in 2019 by six friends, Sessile brings together 500 florists committed to transforming the industry and enables flower delivery throughout France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. By breaking away from the traditional online catalog model, the network highlights each florist’s expertise and helps keep the art of floristry alive. Florists can pursue their passion and create more creative bouquets because they have greater freedom to offer seasonal flowers and, whenever possible, locally sourced flowers.
