New Survey Shows Strong Support for Labor Standards in Houseplant Industry
Photo from the first-ever Planting Justice Assembly held on Sept. 1, 2024. | WeCount!
For National Indoor Plant Week, WeCount!, a non-profit, human rights organization based in South Florida, is calling attention to the growing demand for social responsibility, ethical labor practices, and corporate transparency in the U.S. houseplant industry. The organization’s new initiative, Planting Justice (Sembrando Justicia), has released new survey results revealing that consumers of houseplants across the U.S. prefer to shop at plant nurseries and corporate retailers that uphold labor standards for the plant nursery workers who grow and cultivate their houseplants.
Consumer Trends from the National Online Survey
From July through September 2025, WeCount! conducted a national online survey targeting houseplant consumers across multiple U.S. states. The findings point to a clear consumer trend:
- 96.8% of respondents (2,102 of 2,166) said they are less likely to buy plants from a retail store or plant nursery that is engaged in harmful labor practices against plant nursery workers, such as the denial of basic protections from extreme heat, sexual harassment, or the refusal to provide workers with access to bathrooms.
- 97.3% of respondents (2,113 of 2,166) said they are more likely to buy plants from a retail store or plant nursery that is credibly certified as socially responsible and provides safe and dignified working conditions to plant nursery workers.
The Top States by Engagement
Florida led the nation with 506 responses to the online survey, underscoring the state’s role as both a major grower and consumer hub in the industry, followed by California (161), North Carolina (152), Virginia (121), and Texas (104).
Led by WeCount!, the Planting Justice initiative is working to ensure that houseplants sold in the U.S. market are not only beautiful but ethically grown and distributed. Based on the internationally recognized model of worker-driven social responsibility (WSR), the Planting Justice initiative is a unique partnership between plant nurseries, corporate retailers, consumers, and workers to improve labor standards in the industry. A key component of this initiative includes the adoption of a Code of Conduct (a comprehensive set of labor and human rights standards developed by plant nursery workers and other experts in social responsibility) and an Independent Monitoring Program that partners with corporate retailers to certify the plant nurseries in their supply chain and their implementation of this Code.
Industry Implications of the Survey Results
“Consumers are speaking loud and clear,” says Oscar Londoño, the Co-Executive Director of WeCount!. “From Florida to California to the rest of the country: this new data shows that a growing number of consumers expect and demand ethical labor practices in the houseplant industry. Ethical labor practices are not just a social responsibility — they’re a market advantage and differentiator that can help companies gain the trust and business of more of their consumers. Corporate retailers and nurseries should listen to their consumers by joining our Planting Justice initiative and working with us to ensure respect for human rights in their supply chain. Planting Justice is a win-win for workers, retailers, growers, and consumers.”
Subscribe to eNewsletter
