The flower growing industry in Kenya

Looks attractive. Jobs for thousands as Kenya develops a huge rose growing industry. The video shows the problem of carbon emission from flights carrying the produce round the world.
The producers say that this is offset by the fact there is no need to heat the greenhouses to bring on the flowers as in Europe. What the report doesn’t say is where all the water needed to grow the roses comes from. Other flower growing ventures have illegally diverted water from rivers giving people lower downstream problems. Presumably the industry is not owned by Africans whose labour is used extensively. While the fact that many have access to work, how sustainable is the venture and whose interests does it ultimately serve?


Once again it appears that international capitalism led by the United States determines the future of African countries. Of course Africa is not alone but its states are vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation of mineral wealth, natural resources and labour force. And there is massive competition for the spoils from China, although the Chinese bring their own labour so while exploitation might be avoided there neither do Africans get much benefit apart from cheap consumer goods which are sold everywhere.
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