Mixed feelings

Not far from where I am staying, are the greenhouses where all the roses sent around the world are grown.  Having worked in two flower shops in my life I can appreciate the desire to have fresh roses at any time of the year. Roses are a symbol of love, hope and are given for any and all occasions when one wishes to express that they are thinking of the person receiving them. Is this a bad thing? No of course not, it is wonderful to be able to share our feelings in this way, especially for those who have trouble putting into words their feelings of love or gratitude. I know I always have loved seeing the roses (and all the flowers) come into the shop, displaying a sea of colour that is enjoyed by many.

Row upon row of greenhouses going for miles meaning there must be thousands of greenhouses used for growing the roses.

Behind these fences are the greenhouses, which is amazing actually because they stretch back away from the road for miles as well. I was having trouble comprehending the numbers as we drove past them. Along the way were many vendors selling a rich selection of flowers, all of which we enjoy at home.

It was explained to me that the German company who owns the greenhouses searched all over South America taking soil samples from many areas. Here in Ecuador they found the best overall circumstances for the growth of healthy roses in large quantities. These roses are now enjoyed all around the world. The company employs thousands of workers from the area including Agato, the community where I am staying. The workers are paid very well, allowing them to have better living conditions and enjoy aspects of life they may not otherwise enjoy.

It all sounds so good on the surface, a good job, good pay and a better life. Is that not what we all aspire to? Unfortunately there is another side to this situation which was difficult for me to hear about.  I have been aware for many years that chemicals were used to grow the many flowers that we enjoy, but I didn’t expect the extent of the consequences to be so severe.

Willak explained that since the introduction of the greenhouses, many began to get sick and then die. Their children are born without limbs and they have terrible disfiguration on their faces and bodies. This is an area where the inhabitants did not use chemicals to grow their food, so the introduction of the chemicals can be the only logical conclusion for the severity of the illnesses, especially given the fact that it is the people working in the greenhouses that are the ones suffering.

As well, in order to accommodate the introduction of the greenhouses, they took out many acres of prime growing land – the fields used to grow their native foods. These fields were responsible for providing the necessary food for  the people in the area. Things like quinoa, corn and beans which are staple foods. It is these foods that insure the good health of the indigenous people here and that important aspect of their culture is being lost. Now they are eating foods in restaurants because they can afford to do so with their increased salaries. They are enjoying the tastes of different flavours that they have only recently been introduced to, which on the one hand is great, but when used as a regular source of food for their diet, this is pretty much a disaster.

Seeing the reality of the greenhouses and the vast number of them brought to mind the reality of what I have suffered over the years because of chemicals. What amazed me the most I think was that when Willak was telling me these things, he did not express anger or hatred, nor did he shout out about the injustice of this very difficult reality. He was completely calm in his description which gave me the impression of his acceptance of the situation, right or wrong.  We discussed the consequences and I could see the dilemma they are faced with. On the one hand if you say anything to the world buying roses and they stop buying them, then the company and all the jobs with it die. This would have a domino effect for many considering that every flower shop worldwide would be affected. But then we also could see some changes might be necessary for the good of many. Adaptability under such circumstances would not be a bad thing, although it would be difficult as the turn must first occur in the mind for the changes needed to begin.

Personally, I have tried to live by the code of buying Free Trade and organic as well as non GMO in order to support those who are making the effort to provide sustainable growing practices. It is not an easy choice, and I realize that there is no such thing as totally organic because of all the spraying that happens in the surrounding areas. It is just a choice that I make in an effort to support the belief that everyone deserves to make a living wage in a safe environment. How do I know that what is on the label of the food I’m buying is factual? My body knows the difference as far as the chemical side of it goes, however I cannot in reality be sure that people in other countries are being treated fairly, how could I? Still I make the effort to support the ideals associated with the slogan and hope that it is the truth I am financing with my hard earned money. I do not make judgement on anyone else for their choices, we each live life the way we choose, and must be happy with those choices. I just believe that it is important to make informed decisions and realize that our choices do affect others, we unfortunately cannot see how in most cases.

Until I saw the rows of greenhouses, I could not comprehend the reality of what was happening. Had Willak not explained the circumstances affecting the people I would not have been aware of all the facts. So this is how we learn,  by facing what is right in front of us and changing how we react to what we are seeing. This is in effect another reason for my journey, to face what has been right in front of me all these years and change my reaction to those truths. I feel, at least in my case, that it can be difficult to change the way we see things when we do not change our environment. That being said it was no easy decision to come here and leave everything that was comfortable behind me. I understood from my experiences with therapy that familiar or comfortable does not mean right or good, it’s just what we know, we understand it and cope because of the familiarity.