Over the past two decades, Ethiopia’s flower industry has grown rapidly, with around 80% of its flowers now exported to Europe. While the sector has created jobs and generated income, it has also caused social and environmental tensions in areas where foreign investors have established farms.
In this reporting project, a reporter and photographer team up to document the human impact of this industry, especially where access to land has shifted from local communities to investors.
The team reports from around the town of Derba and Batu, Ethiopia, home to several flower farms. One story focuses on how the flower industry affects the community; when a local farmer is being displaced; and how the locals experience environmental degradation from the use of pesticides in flower production.
Another article tells the story of how young farmers were forced to give up their trade because of the flower industry, and, lastly, this project examines how workers experience a dangerous work environment that has led to physical disabilities as a result of handling pesticides.
