Some countries have found success by promoting the nationality of their products, such as the Juan Valdez campaign for Colombian coffee. Discuss the viability of a national campaign to promote Ecuadoran roses abroad.
CASE Export Future? Ecuador: A Rosy Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose -Gertrude Stein, "Sacred Emily" from Geography and Play (1922 ine to illustrate what a word can invoke. market, has purchasing power, but it fils most demand with throughout the ages, the domestic production. However, in many other countries im- irnigue image and emotion to each of ports have largely displaced domestic output. For instance adormment for a the United States now imports more than twice the value ot Stein intended her Given the many uses of rose word brings a nearly u us t has been a name for daughters, an or vase, a representation of a deceased versus living s living its domestic flower production. mother on Mother's Day, a mark of love on Valentine's Day, for perfume and medicine, a confetti of strewn and even the symbol of opposing armies during Eng Ecuadoran Advantages during Eng and's War of the Roses Developing countries have a labor cost advantage in the rose market because production is very labor-intensive at almost every stage- planting. fertilizing, funigating, pruning removing thoms, assembling by size and rose variety, and roses for centuries, their perish- packaging. Although Ecuador has this overall advantage, it ith Colombia, its main com- Some Global Changes though growers have sold ability they should usually be sold within three to five days has a labor cost disadvantage w being cut) prevented extensive export before there was petition, because its monthly minimum wage is and economical air service. Today, roses more. Further, its transport cost for roses to the United States export indus averages 20-30 percent more than Colombia's. However Because the equator runs through the country, the sun is growth. The world's largest exporter is Colombia, with Ec- almost directly overhead throughout the year, which speeds roses at high altitudes (averaging about 2000 cool nights that timely about half the $14 billion cut-flower ry Developing countries, many without significant domestic Ecuador has almost unique advantages in rose cultivation cut-flower markets, have accounted for most recent export thed positions. Given that consumers purchase roses as dis- cy. It grows ncome countries. Given the need to reach markets quickly are ideal. Seventy percent are grown and Kenya running neck and neck for the second and growth and allows for year-round temperature rather than as necessities, most exports are to high meters, or 6561 feet) that provide the very north of the capital mcst of its flowers to Europe, Taiwan to Jaoaosulto, and 30 percent to the south. These areas obtain ano Ecuador to the United States. However, chilling technology may soon allow cut flowers to be sent in containers on ships. In addition to feasible air service, other logistical im- provements have speeded the connection between grow ers and consumers. Take, for example, flower imports into the United States. About 85 percent of the annual market enters by air through Miami, which has more than 50 whole- salers and importers. These flowers, mainly from Latin America, are packaged where they are cut and air freighted the same day. The packaging often includes address labels and tracking information so as to avoid the costly and time- consuming process of re-packaging for transshipment. On arrival in Miami, the roses are placed at once in refriger ated warehouses, where U.S. government customs and agriculture inspectors clear shipments by spot-checking packages to ascertain their invoice accuracy and absence of insects Of course, long before the growth in export markets many countries produced flowers for nearby sale, and some are still domestically focused. China and India have arger land areas under flower cultivation than any other countries, but their quality is insufficient to compete much A nternationally, Japan, the world's second-largest cut-flower Roses Harvest, plantation in Tumbaco, Cayambe, Ecuador