From Farmworkers Association of Florida in Apopka
Summary:
Community, labor and faith organizations will hold a Day of Action in Apopka on September 8 calling on Costa Farms to join WeCount!’s Planting Justice Program. The campaign highlights reported labor and human rights concerns among plant nursery workers and urges Costa Farms to establish stronger labor standards across the houseplant industry.
On Tuesday, September 8, the day after Labor Day, community, labor, and faith groups will host a Day of Action in Apopka to call on the world’s largest grower of ornamental plants, Costa Farms, to join WeCount!’s Planting Justice Program. Headquartered in South Florida, and with a presence in Central Florida since 2014, Costa Farms grows and supplies plants to the country’s largest retail brands, including Lowe’s, Costco, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods.
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On this Day of Action, Apopka-based organizations, including the Farmworker Association of Florida, Central Florida Jobs with Justice, and Hope Community Center, will be calling on Costa Farms to address the human cost of houseplants and to play a leadership role in transforming labor standards across the $50 billion U.S. houseplant industry. The message is clear: Costa Farms should honor Labor Day by setting a new gold standard for plant nursery employers to follow in Florida and across the U.S.
The Planting Justice Program is a worker-driven social responsibility program developed by WeCount! that seeks to eliminate the labor and human rights abuses for tens of thousands of plant nursery workers in Florida and across the U.S. Many of these abuses are detailed in WeCount!’s 2026 report, “The Human Cost of Houseplants”,
WHAT: In-person rally
WHO: Community, labor, and faith leaders with the Planting Justice campaign, including the Farmworker Association of Florida, Central Florida Jobs with Justice, Hope Community Center, and WeCount!
WHEN: Tuesday, September 8, 10:00 AM EST
WHERE: Farmworker Association of Florida, 1264 Apopka Blvd, Apopka, FL 32703
Fact Sheet:
Florida is the national epicenter of the U.S. houseplant industry: nearly 80% of the nation’s indoor foliage and tropical plants are produced in Florida. A recent report, “The Human Cost of Houseplants”, reveals that South Florida’s plant nursery workers – a majority-immigrant women workforce – are facing a labor and human rights crisis hidden from consumers and the public. While the focus of the report is on Florida, these labor conditions are prevalent in nurseries across the United States, as documented in multiple government investigations, lawsuits, media outlets, and industry surveys.
Key findings of the “Human Cost of Houseplants” report include:
- 86% reported suffering injuries and illnesses while working in the industry, including from heat stress, pesticide exposure, and ergonomic hazards. ● Nearly a third (32%) reported not receiving any access to drinking water from their employers. Of those who have been provided water, 62% said the water they received was often too dirty and unsanitary to consume.
- Nearly 83% said they have worked in nurseries that do not provide shaded rest breaks despite laboring in heat that routinely exceeds 90-100 degrees. ● More than a third (35%) reported having suffered wage theft by employers who failed to pay them on time or did not pay them their full wages.
- More than half (55%) of women workers reported experiencing sexual harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environments for women. ● 60% have never received paid sick or vacation days in their entire time. ● More than half (56%) reported witnessing employers and supervisors engaging in retaliation against co-workers for speaking up and exercising their rights.
This past Valentine’s Day, WeCount! launched its call for Planting Justice urging major retailers in the United States – the multi-billion dollar corporations that sell houseplants in their stores and online – to sign legally binding agreements requiring them to purchase only from growers who participate in the Planting Justice Program. Through this participation, growers adhere to a worker-driven Code of Conduct that is certified by year-round independent monitoring and audits. The campaign is also calling on one of the world’s largest plant nurseries, Costa Farms, to lead by example by becoming the first major grower to voluntarily sign on to the program. Costa Farms is headquartered in Homestead, Florida and has operations in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. To date, Costa Farms has refused to join the Planting Justice Program.
WeCount! is a non-profit, human rights organization that advocates for better living and working conditions for plant nursery workers and families in Florida. Through their national Planting Justice campaign, WeCount! is bringing together plant nursery workers, consumers, and community and faith allies to ensure respect for labor and human rights across the houseplant industry. www.we-count.org/plantingjustice
The Farmworker Association of Florida is a 43-year-old, statewide, non-profit, community-based farmworker membership organization with five offices in Florida and a long-standing mission to build power among farmworker and rural low-income communities, to respond to and gain control over the social, political, economic, workplace, health, climate and environmental justice issues that impact their lives. FWAF members work in the fruit, vegetable, fern, foliage and ornamental plant, and sod industries in the state.
Central Florida Jobs with Justice is a coalition that brings together labor unions, community organizations, faith communities, and student activists to fight for worker rights, climate justice, public education, and economic equity. CFJWJ invests in long-term partnerships across sectors, working alongside organizations and communities to build and sustain power for working people.
Hope Community Center is a non-profit, community-based organization that fosters diverse, empowered, learning communities engaged in personal and societal transformation. Through service and advocacy, we stand together with immigrants and others who are tenacious and courageous in the face of all systems of oppression.
Key Points:
- Apopka rally planned: The Farmworker Association of Florida, Central Florida Jobs with Justice, Hope Community Center and WeCount! will hold a rally Tuesday, September 8, at 10 a.m. at the Farmworker Association of Florida.
- Costa Farms targeted: Organizers are calling on Costa Farms, described as the world’s largest grower of ornamental plants, to voluntarily join the Planting Justice Program and set higher labor standards.
- Florida dominates houseplants: Nearly 80% of the nation’s indoor foliage and tropical plants are produced in Florida, making the state a major center of the U.S. houseplant industry.
- Workers report serious concerns: The cited 2026 “Human Cost of Houseplants” report found 86% of surveyed workers reported workplace injuries or illnesses, while 35% reported wage theft and 55% of women reported sexual harassment, discrimination or hostile work environments.
- Planting Justice seeks accountability: WeCount!’s program calls for a worker-driven Code of Conduct backed by independent year-round monitoring and audits, with the campaign also urging major retailers to purchase only from participating growers.
