Being from Holland – country of the flowers – I was more than a little surprised to read an article in UK magazine GEO about how flowers in Europe today come primarily from Kenya.

Kenya – and in particular the area around the shallow Lake Naivasha – is in fact the perfect location for flowers to grow, especially certain varieties of roses.

The climate around lake Naivasha is outstanding for rose production due to the high light intensities around the equator, with 330 days of sunshine annually, and the altitude of 1.950 m, reduces the otherwise overly warm conditions and makes it a very pleasant climate for humans and roses.

Every single night planes leave Nairobi for Europe, with their holds full of flowers. The flowers are traded at auction in Dubai and Holland,  and are eventually sold across Europe and the US.

Although – with an annual turnover of 400 million euros – flowers are the second largest foreign exchange earner for Kenya, the flower production is also subject to levels of constant critical awareness in order that the farming processes do not endanger Lake Naivasha’s unique ecosystems and habitats for wildlife.