In this edition of Entre Nous, we take a deep dive into the tradition of "La Bataille des Fleurs" or the flower parade that's part of the much-loved Nice Carnival. From mimosa blooms to pesticides, we also discuss the delights and dangers of the French flower industry.
Watch moreDutch cut flower industry in hot water over pesticides
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NewsTranscript
00:00Something completely different for you now with our Entre-Nous segment.
00:02I'm joined on the set by Solange Mougin.
00:04Hi, Solange.
00:05Hi, Judy.
00:05As your top can attest, very springy in the air, a little tiny bit here in France.
00:10And you're going to be talking today all about flowers,
00:12from French festivals that celebrate them to the darker side of the flower industry.
00:17But let's start with something joyful first, the Battle of the Flowers.
00:20What's that?
00:21Well, unlike its name, which evokes war and competition,
00:24La Bataille des Fleurs, or the Battle of the Blooms, is actually a parade.
00:29That's part of the Nice Carnival, which runs until March 2nd.
00:32There are five Batailles des Fleurs held throughout the festivities,
00:35with floats covered in thousands of blooms,
00:37and volunteers handing out and throwing flowers to spectators.
00:41According to the organizers, 100,000 flowers and 21 tons of mimosa blooms are given out every year.
00:48It's not only one of the main attractions of Nice,
00:51but Nice was actually a precursor to many other flower parades like the ones in the U.S.
00:57In French, these flower pageants are called des Corceaux Fleuris,
01:01with corceaux referring to promenade in the Italian language.
01:05The first one was in Nice.
01:07The first one in Nice, rather, was held in 1876
01:10as a more civilized alternative to the confederate march that was going on during the carnival.
01:16Instead of flowers, they were handed out among the upper class.
01:21And from here, the tradition grew.
01:26The fragrant floats travel across the city, bringing with them a battle of blooms,
01:31the highlight of Nice's winter season, sun and flowers.
01:34That's Nice.
01:38Now, the tradition of flower pageants predates Nice's carnival.
01:42It's likely dating back to the Middle Ages with the Dutch flower festivals or the Bloemencorceaux.
01:48But it is said that the Batailles des Fleurs in Nice
01:51served as an inspiration for another well-known American parade,
01:55the Tournament of Roses, that's held every year on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California.
02:00And like with the pageant in Nice, these big shows of flowers were and are a meaning of saying,
02:06escape the winter wherever you are and come to our sunnier climates where blooms flower.
02:13That's one view of winter in the USA.
02:15Well, here's another, this time in California.
02:19Bright sunshine and blue skies accompanied the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.
02:23This is an annual event providing a very good excuse for parading pinup girls through the streets.
02:32I love that parade.
02:33All right, Solange, let's come back to France, where there are a number of flower-themed
02:37festivals, particularly in the southeastern part of France at this time of year.
02:40Yeah, at the turn of the 20th century, carnivals and festivals,
02:43they were all the rage on the Côte d'Azur.
02:45And many of these traditions continue today, with each town having their specialty.
02:50Like last week's naval battle of flowers in the port town of Villefranche-sur-Mer,
02:56where decorated boats, people on them flew through flowers to the crowds.
03:02And they have actually been doing so since 1902.
03:05There's also a famous festival, Courses aux fleuris in Bernes-les-Mimosas,
03:09which is actually named after the iconic flower of this region, the mimosa flower.
03:14But actually, this January to March bloom is not French.
03:18Even if there is a mimosa root of over 100 kilometers that goes from Bernes-les-Mimosas
03:23all the way to Grasse, the perfume city that uses quite a bit of these
03:28flowers because of the wonderful honey smell.
03:34It's in full bloom.
03:36This is the Mirandol, which is really magnificent.
03:39Like all careful mimosa growers, we plant according to different light exposure,
03:42south, east, west, to stretch out the season.
03:45But originally, mimosa is from Australia,
03:49and it was actually brought over by the explorer James Cook.
03:52Incidentally, the bright pom-pom flowers were the inspiration for hard-boiled egg recipes,
03:57mimosa eggs, but also the champagne and orange juice cocktails that many of us drink at brunch.
04:02But today, certain varieties are actually considered invasive species in Europe.
04:06Even if on the Côte d'Azur, they flourish, they create a flourishing tourism industry
04:11and draw in a lot of people in regard to the flower industry.
04:15All right, let's talk a bit more specifically about the flower industry here in France,
04:19where mimosa production is really a key part of the economy there.
04:22Yeah, the climate of the Vare and the Alpes-Maritimes region is actually perfect for
04:27growing mimosa forests.
04:30And this region is the major producer of these flowers worldwide.
04:34It is also France's number one area in regard to flower production overall.
04:39But it is just a sliver of what French people buy.
04:42Over 80% of the flowers purchased in France are grown abroad,
04:46with most coming from places like Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya.
04:50And then they are brought through into Europe via the Netherlands.
04:53Also, many of these flowers are actually quite toxic.
04:56Not just mimosa, but all types of flowers there are toxic because of widespread pesticide use.
05:01Last year, a family raised alarm bells here in France after their daughter died
05:06from exposure to flower pesticides while she was in utero.
05:09Her mother was a florist.
05:11Her death was actually the first to be recognized by the Pesticide Victims Compensation Fund.
05:16And likewise, in addition to this, consumer wash drugs have tested flowers repeatedly,
05:22showing that over 100 different chemicals can be found on many blooms.
05:26Many of these chemicals are actually outlawed in Europe, but they still come.
05:30They're still nonetheless allowed to because of a lack of regulamentation.
05:34The UFC, which is a watchdog, found 100% of the blooms they tested,
05:40be it from supermarkets or florists, they have pesticide traces on them.
05:45And for a final bit of bad news for our Valentine's Day love of flowers,
05:49these chemicals leach into our bodies, with florists being on the front line.
05:54But not only.
05:55In 2019, a Belgian study found that the levels of pesticides in the urine of florists
05:59was higher than, say, farmers.
06:01We often talk about pesticides and farmers, but florists get them too.
06:05Many florists and consumers do not know this.
06:08But on the positive side, there are more demands for regulation,
06:11which actually don't exist like it does in addition to food and things like that.
06:16This year, the French government actually asked for an investigation to be launched
06:19into the exposure of florists to pesticides.
06:22And consumers are starting to catch on, demanding to know where their blooms come from.
06:27Because of this, a whole generation of organic farmers is blooming thanks to demand.
06:32French towns as well are boasting now the possibility of being able to do a promenade,
06:37to do a walk in town with beautiful blooms that don't use pesticides.
06:41That is so interesting, Solange.
06:42Thank you so much for that look at France's flower industry
06:45and those great parades, the flower battles.
06:47I love it.
06:47Thank you very much.