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Martin Donohoe

This book sheds light on the harmful impacts of floral, gem, and precious metal industries on public health, human rights, and the environment. Explore the hidden truths behind these symbols of love and wealth.

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Martin Donohoe

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  1. Flowers, Diamonds, and Gold: The destructive public health, human rights and environmental consequences of symbols of love Martin Donohoe

  2. Overview • Flowers • Diamonds • Gold • Alternatives/Solutions

  3. “Say it with flowers”

  4. Flowers • Long history of religious, folk, heraldic and national symbolism • Gifts of love, friendship and filial devotion • St. Valentine’s Day • Mothers’ Day

  5. The Floriculture Industry • $30 billion cut flower industry • Major producers: Holland, Columbia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, India, Mexico, China, Malaysia • World’s largest producer: Dole Fresh Flowers

  6. The Floriculture Industry • Largest import markets: U.S. and Germany • Only 1/3 of cut flowers sold in U.S. are domestic • Most from CA

  7. The Floriculture Industry • 190,000 workers in developing countries • Ecuador and Columbia account for ½ of flowers sold in U.S. • Most profit flows to large, multinational corporations, headquartered outside producing countries • Small amount reinvested locally

  8. Floriculture and Women • Predominantly female workforce • Low wages • No benefits • Short contract cycles • Child labor, dismissal for pregnancy, unpaid overtime common • Women often must take pregnancy test or show proof of sterilization before hired

  9. Floriculture and Labor • Labor organizers harassed, workers fired for trying to organize unions • Third party contractors shuffle workers from plantation to plantation, avoiding payment of social security and inhibiting union organizing

  10. Floriculture and the Environment • Floriculture displaces crops grown for local food consumption • Contributes to malnutrition and increased local food costs • Requires large quantities of irrigation water • 120 liters/dozen roses • Contributes to drop in water tables

  11. Floriculture: Toxic Exposures • Flowers = most pesticide-intensive crop • Greenhouses increase ambient levels of pesticides • 1/5 of pesticides banned or untested in U.S. • Carcinogens, persistent organic pollutants/endocrine disruptors

  12. Floriculture: Toxic Exposures • Flowers carry up to 50X the amount of pesticides allowed on foods • USDA inspects for pests, but not pesticides

  13. Floriculture: Health Effects • Over 50% of workers have symptoms of organophosphate pesticide exposure (cholinergic symptoms) • Other common health problems: • Allergic reactions, heat stroke, pneumonitis, RSI, cellulitis, UTIs, neuropathies, mental health problems, cancers, reproductive problems (low sperm counts, spontaneous abortions, fetal anomalies, etc.)

  14. Floriculture: Health Effects • EPA estimates U.S. farm workers suffer up to 300,000 pesticide-related acute illnesses and injuries per year • NAS estimates that pesticides in food could cause up to 1 million cancers in the current generation of Americans • 1,000,000 people killed by pesticides over the last 6 years (WHO)

  15. Floriculture: Health Effects • Labeling, handling, and storage problems rampant • Protective gear often lacking, not working • Reuse of pesticide-saturated greenhouse plastic for domestic purposes not uncommon • Workers wash / bathe children in same sink

  16. Floriculture: Health Effects • Local physicians poorly-trained, lack resources to manage pesticide-related health problems • Many providers employed by floriculture company • Conflict of interest

  17. Diamonds • Symbols of wealth, power, love, and magical powers • Created from carbon early in the earth’s history under extreme temperature and pressure • Industrial uses: cutting, chemically inert, transmits many wavelengths of light, can be tweaked to hold an electric charge • Discovered in India around 800 B.C. • Commercial mining began in 1866 in South Africa

  18. World Diamond Mine Production(1995-2011)

  19. Diamond Production • Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, Mumbai (Bombay), and Dubai major trading centers • Most cutting done in Surat (India), Tel Aviv, Antwerp, Mumbai, New York and Thailand • Major retail markets U.S. and Japan

  20. The Diamond Market • Annual retail sales = $72 billion (2012) • 2008: Christie’s sells 36-carat diamond for $24 million • World’s Largest Diamond: 40-carat Hope Diamond at Smithsonian • Fun fact – some exoplanets contain diamond layers thousands of miles thick

  21. Kimberley Mine, SAYielded 3 tons of diamonds, Closed 1914

  22. Mirny Diamond Mine, SiberiaLargest open diamond mine in the world

  23. The Diamond Engagement Ring • Diamond engagement ring introduced in 1477 (Archduke Ferdinand → Mary of Burgundy) • De Beers Mining Company • Founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1888 • Responsible for 40%-45% of worldwide diamond production and sales

  24. Cecil Rhodes(Rhodesia, Rhodes Scholarship, DeBeers Mining Company) “We must find new lands from which we can easily obtain raw materials and at the same time exploit the cheap slave labour that is available from the natives of the colonies. The colonies would also provide a dumping ground for the surplus goods produced in our factories.”

  25. Diamond Rings • 1939: DeBeers hires N.W. Ayer and Company to make diamonds “a psychological necessity…the larger the diamond, the greater the expression of love.” • By 1942, 80% of engagements in U.S. consecrated with diamond rings (still true today) • Diamonds first worn by stars to the Oscars in 1942

  26. Diamond Rings • 1947: “A diamond is forever” slogan born • Jewelers instructed to tell (pressure?) men - who buy 90% of all diamonds – to spend at least 2 months salary on the ring • Later: Anniversary diamonds

  27. Diamond Rings • 1999: Advertising Age magazine declares “A Diamond is Forever” slogan the most effective of the 20th Century • Recognized by 90% of Americans • 1999: De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer – “Diamonds are intrinsically worthless, except for the deep psychological need they fill”

  28. Diamond Rings • 2003: De Beers begins to market diamonds to single women • “Your left hand says ‘we,’ your right hand says ‘me.’”

  29. Pet Jewelry:The Diamond Dog Collar

  30. Diamonds: Profits and Losses • 144 million carats rough diamonds mined for jewelry per year • Worth approximately U.S.$15 billion • 1 carat diamond retails for $4,000-$7,500 in the U.S. • Cost less than $2 billion to extract • Ultimately sell for over $80 billion

  31. Diamonds: Profits and Losses • Workers desperately poor but hoping to strike it rich in “casino economy” • Over 1 million in Africa • Work under dangerous, unhealthy conditions for pittance • Diamonds may be embedded in asbestos • Workers suffer from cancer, leukemia, silicosis

  32. Diamonds: Profits and Losses • Middlemen, diamond dealers and exporters earn the lion’s share of profits • Most foreign nationals • Very little profit re-invested in local communities

  33. Diamonds: Profits and Losses • 2008: DeBeers settles several class action lawsuits over anti-trust violations, unfair competition, and consumer-protection laws related to monopolizing supplies, conspiring to fix/raise/control prices, and disseminating false and misleading advertising • Over $300 million plus prohibitions/oversight • DeBeers admits no wrongdoing

  34. Diamonds: Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and Terrorism • Mine owners violate indigenous peoples’ rights via destruction of traditional homelands and forced resettlement • Mining hastens environmental degradation of ecosystems already under severe stress • Diamond mines expected to run dry by 2030, sea bed off Africa expected to become major source

  35. Diamonds: Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and Terrorism • Diamonds have been used by rebel armies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Liberia, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone to pay for weapons used to fight brutal civil wars • 3.8 million deaths • Child soldiers • Forced labor • Sex slavery, HIV • Terrorize local populations (e.g., RUF in Sierra Leone killed and mutilated thousands via amputations with machetes and axes in 1990s)

  36. Diamonds: Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and Terrorism • Al Qaeda and Hizbollah have used diamond monies to: • Fund terror cells • Hide money targeted by financial institutions • Launder profits from criminal activity • Convert cash into a commodity that is easily transportable and holds its value

  37. Diamonds: Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and Terrorism • Armed groups raise $4-5 billion/yr through taxation of and illicit trade in diamonds • Smuggled and illicit conflict diamonds may amount to as much as 10-15% of diamond jewelry sold worldwide • U.S. State Dept. • 20% • Global Witness

  38. Diamonds: Human Rights Abuses, Conflict and Terrorism • Accusations that television evangelist Pat Robertson’s charity, Operation Blessing, served as an elaborate front for his for-profit African Development Company Ltd., a diamond mining operation licensed by Zairean President Mobutu, who had been sanctioned by the UN over alleged human rights violations

  39. Trump Administration • Leaked draft of presidential memo shows Trump may ask the SEC to temporarily waive the requirements of the Conflict Mineral Rule, a provision of the Dodd Frank Act which discourages American companies from funding conflict and human rights abuses in the DCR through purchasing conflict minerals • Many tech companies favor waiving the rule

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