Description
“Hazardous Beauty: Pesticides in Cut Flowers” is a collaborative project by Ekonews and the RECETOX research centre at Masaryk University investigating the largely overlooked issue of pesticide residues in cut flowers sold on the Czech market. Combining scientific analysis with investigative journalism, the team will test around 120 flower samples from different retail channels and countries of origin for up to 200 pesticide substances, including compounds banned in the EU. The project will explore potential health risks for florists and consumers, examine gaps in current regulations, and shed light on the environmental and social impacts of the global flower trade. Through a series of articles and multimedia outputs, it will provide the first data-driven evidence on this issue in the Czech Republic and contribute to a broader European debate on pesticide use and consumer protection.
“We are delighted to receive support from the Journalism Science Alliance. This project gives us a unique opportunity to combine investigative journalism with cutting-edge scientific research and explore an issue that has never been systematically examined in the Czech Republic. We look forward to uncovering the true scale of pesticide contamination in cut flowers and bringing evidence-based insights into an important public debate on health, environmental impacts, and consumer protection.” — Martina Patočková, Ekonews
Project Team
Media outlet
Ekonews For Future Media s.r.o.
Praha 5, Czech Republic
www.ekonews.cz
Martina Patočková
Chief editor and cofounder
Czech Republic
Research organisation
RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University
Brno, Czech Republic
https://www.recetox.muni.cz/
Jakub Hofman
Professor
Czech Republic
