Despite the steady rise in demand from a global fragrance industry worth almost $40 billion, Turkish output has declined for two decades and the tradition of rose cultivation is fading. A shrinking population - true for much of Turkey's rural communities amid rapid urbanization - prefers to raise less labor-intensive products, like cherries and peaches for export, said rose growers. Aging rose bushes are another culprit.
— Read more at Turkish rose farmers struggle to keep tradition alive at Reuters.
🙁 How sad! I wonder which of my fav rose fragrances use the Turkish damask oil?
Same as Grasse…soon flower fields the world over will be small enclaves funded by the luxury brands.
Too bad anyone isn’t investing in researching methods to make the rose cultivation process less labour-intensive. If there is a future to natural materials, it seems to go through the development of technologies able to amplify the extraction yield and make the cultivation process easier.
Good point. Probably there is not quite enough of a market for anybody to work on the technology…