News » 16.10.2026 - The social aspect of floriculture in Kenya
For growers of roses and summer flowers in Kenya, the Netherlands is an important sales market. Around 60 percent of Kenyan cut flowers are traded via the Netherlands. As a result, the floriculture sector in Kenya provides employment for over 160,000 people. How do growers in Kenya treat their employees and the local communities surrounding the nurseries and farms? In this article, Royal FloraHolland takes a closer look at the social aspects of the Kenyan floriculture sector.
How many jobs does the Kenyan floriculture sector provide?
Kenya is ideally suited to flower cultivation because of the climatic conditions around the equator. The country's location, combined with the humidity, ensures a relatively stable climate without significant seasonal variations. This ensures predictable quality and a reliable supply, including to the Netherlands. Demand from Europe for Kenyan flowers is increasing, which is also driving growth in employment.
According to a recent study by RaboResearch, around 160,000 people are employed in the Kenyan floriculture sector. Over 60 percent of them work on primary production farms. The rest are employed by suppliers or, for example, in the transport sector. This makes the floriculture sector one of the country's major employers, particularly in rural areas. Some large growers employ just under 1,500 people. Moreover, employees come from various parts of Kenya, meaning that the sector's economic impact is not limited to the immediate vicinity of the farms.
It is striking that many employees in the floriculture sector are women. There are even farms where 75 percent of the workforce is women, and there are also examples of farms where half of the management positions are held by women. For many women, working in floriculture offers an opportunity to earn an independent income, which is not a given in Kenya. In most cases, employers pay the salary directly into the female employee's personal bank account. This gives employees direct access to their income and enables them to make independent financial decisions, which contributes to the economic independence of women and their families.
What legislation is in place in Kenya to protect employees?
Kenya has various laws to protect employees, which are primarily set out in the Employment Act (2007). This act establishes rules regarding contracts, wages, working hours, leave, dismissal procedures, and protection against unfair dismissal. For example, employers are obliged to provide employees with a written contract, and people may only be employed from the age of 18. Rules also govern maximum working hours, paid leave, and maternity and paternity leave. Discrimination and forced labor are prohibited, and employees are protected against unfair dismissal.
The Employment Act is supplemented by various other labor laws and regulations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 2007, which is designed to ensure safety in the workplace. Employees also have the right to join a trade union. Within KFC-certified systems (see below), employees can submit complaints confidentially or anonymously, which is a mandatory component of KFC certification.
Kenyan labor legislation contains provisions for the protection of workers, including those in the floriculture sector. The Ministry of Labour monitors compliance with these provisions, including through inspections. The extent to which the rules are complied with and enforced in practice remains a key area of concern.
What additional requirements does certification entail?
As of September 2026, 92 percent of member suppliers in Kenya are certified in accordance with the requirements of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI). The FSI is an international, market-driven initiative whose members include growers and growers' organizations, trading companies, breeders, and retailers. FSI members collaborate to further improve the sustainability of the international floriculture sector.
The FSI has drawn up a benchmark against which various certificates in the floriculture sector are assessed. Certificates that meet this benchmark comply with the FSI's requirements and are included in the FSI Basket of Standards. The FSI Basket of Standards consists of three pillars: Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Environment, and Social.
The Social pillar within the FSI Basket of Standards is about safeguarding social and working conditions, and it focuses on fair and safe working conditions for staff at nurseries and farms. It covers three main aspects. The first is terms of employment, which includes fair wages (including striving for a living wage), appropriate working hours, and the prohibition of forced or child labor. The second is health and safety, which includes a safe working environment, the correct use of protective clothing, and safe conditions when working with crop protection products. The third is human rights, which includes safeguarding workers' fundamental rights and combating discrimination.
Growers can obtain a certificate within each pillar. Because the FSI classifies Kenya as a high-risk country, growers in Kenya must hold at least one certificate in each of the three pillars to be fully certified. Certificates from organizations such as MPS, Fairtrade, and the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) form part of the FSI Basket of Standards. The KFC is the trade association for the Kenyan flower sector and has, among other things, developed the Flowers & Ornamental Sustainability Standard (FOSS).
What additional requirements does the Fairtrade Hired Labour Standard set?
The Fairtrade Hired Labour Standard certificate is also one of the certificates that meets the benchmark for the FSI Social pillar. Many European retail companies expect growers in Kenya to hold this certificate. One of the obligations under this certificate is that growers must set aside approximately 10 percent of their product revenues to fund social projects. Similar social obligations apply to the KFC and MPS certificates as well. Decisions on which projects receive the money must be made democratically by and with the workers. Education is a popular cause. For example, part of the available funds is used to cover school fees for the children of workers attending secondary school (primary school is free in Kenya).
What are the wages and working conditions like in the Kenyan floriculture sector?
European consumers might ask themselves this question. The minimum wage in Kenya is around €100 per month, and European buyers of Kenyan flowers sometimes call for it to be raised to a so-called "living wage." The Kenya Flower Council tackles the risk of underpayment by embedding strong social and labor law requirements in the FOSS standard. This ensures that jobs are not only created, but that the work is also decent, fairly paid, and based on workers' rights. Furthermore, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the horticultural sector is stricter than the statutory national standards for wages and employment conditions.
Raising wages involves various considerations. Higher wage costs can increase the cost price of flowers, while the selling price does not automatically rise in line with this, which can have consequences for growers' competitiveness and for employment. At the same time, some Kenyan growers point out that wage increases alone may not be sufficient to structurally improve employees' purchasing power, for example when the cost of living also rises. That is why, in addition to wage developments, growers are also looking at other ways to support their employees.
For example, many employers provide a free or very cheap lunch, and many growers also offer free medical care. Some nurseries and farms have clinics on their own premises, which employees (and often their families too) can use free of charge. The health care provided is comparable to primary care in the Netherlands, such as that provided by general practitioners and dentists. Particular attention is often paid to HIV testing, tuberculosis, and even childbirth. Special provisions are also made for women. For example, many employers offer free childcare, which gives women the opportunity to work and earn their own money. Paid maternity leave and facilities such as breastfeeding rooms, which allow mothers to breastfeed their newborns, are also becoming standard practice at an increasing number of farms.
What do Kenyan growers do for local communities?
Many Kenyan growers invest, either independently or in collaboration with others, in their staff and in the local community. Employees often carry out specialized work that requires some training. By investing in this, growers ensure that well-trained employees stay with them for longer. This is important for the growers, who need healthy, loyal, and reliable employees.
In addition to the examples mentioned earlier, there is a significant amount of investment in educational facilities. Many nurseries and farms build schools or classrooms on their own premises or in the village. Contributions are also made toward teaching materials and other educational facilities. As noted earlier, Fairtrade premiums, among other sources, are used to pay school fees for employees' children attending secondary education. These premiums are also regularly used to support the personal development of employees.
In addition, a significant amount of money goes toward local infrastructure, ranging from roads to drinking water supplies. Investments are also made in various sports clubs, which promote fitness and social interaction for employees and their families. Furthermore, employees help to stimulate the wider regional economy. They often live close to the nursery or farm, and in the surrounding villages they pay rent and do their daily shopping. This generates income for local businesses around the nursery or farm.
The Kenyan floriculture sector provides employment for many people and contributes to local communities through education, health care, and infrastructure. At the same time, adequate income, good working conditions, and independent monitoring remain key priorities. Legislation, collective agreements, and certification form the basis for this, but ultimately what matters most is what employees actually experience in their day-to-day lives.
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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