Employment and working conditions in the Ecuadorian flower industry

The flower industry is a new employment-generating activity in Ecuador. Its spread in rural areas has not only helped slow down the migration process, but also significantly incorporated women into the labour force and become the point of reference for regional development plans and policies. Paper analyses the financial significance of the flower industry, its general employment practices, government policies impinging upon it, and behaviour of the principal players of the industry. Significant conclusions from a field survey of nine companies representing 6.7 per cent of the total industry exports and from interviews of two marketing companies, as well as information gathered from discussions with flower industry workers are presented