Video: Revolution Began With Love and Flowers

2008 Valentine's Predicted 'Eco-Tipping Point' for $21 Billion U.S. floral
market

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- When Gerald Prolman fell
head-over-heals in love with French Jazz singer Raquel Bitton, he used
magnificent floral bouquets to win her heart. He went on to create something
entirely unexpected: an eco-floral revolution worth hundreds of millions of
dollars.
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Spending countless hours in florist shops, Prolman had discovered that,
behind the beautiful blooms, lay a darker reality: flowers are typically grown
with artillery of chemicals that can negatively effect the environment, the
farm workers who handle the flowers, the wildlife, and the ecology.
Prolman -- who had already helped build what has become the
multi-billion dollar organic produce sector -- set his sights on converting
the entire floral industry towards stringent ecological standards. No small
vision, for a guy who, just a few years earlier, barely knew a gardenia from a
gerbera daisy.
Today, as the CEO of Organic Style Ltd. and its flagship floral brand,
Organic Bouquet, Prolman is widely considered the pioneer of what has turned
into a market sector worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Organically-grown
flowers are one of the fastest growing segments of the organic market. In
2008, Organic Style expects to ship more than 20 million stems of organic and
eco-certified roses, with an additional $100 million dollars worth of
sustainably-grown flowers in the pipeline.
"By 2015, you won't be able to purchase a non-certified sustainable flower
in the United States," predicts Prolman. "Public consciousness about
environmental issues is at an all-time high, and never before has there been
such a powerful alignment between the growers, marketers and consumers."
According to the Natural Marketing Institute, 35 million Americans, or
approximately 16 percent of the adult population spend nearly $209 billion for
goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice,
personal development and sustainable living.
A tireless and often sleep-deprived entrepreneur, Prolman has initiated
multiple projects that have put 'green' flowers on the map, including:
conceiving the need for an initiating Veriflora, a sustainable certification
that now boasts more than 45 farmers and expects to certify more than one
billion stems in 2008; producing a musical tribute to the environment by
world-famous Gospel singers; and published the new online Organic Style
magazine, which his company purchased from Rodale Publishing in 2007.
As a floral innovator, Prolman introduced the 6' high World's Tallest
Roses -- which made a huge splash when Christina Aguilera presented them to
Ellen DeGeneres on national TV in 2007; honored Civil Rights hero Rosa Parks
by naming a rose after her; launched the first collection of organically grown
fragrant roses; and donated more than $250,000 to more than forty-five leading
environmental, human rights and animal welfare non-profit organizations.
As for Raquel Bitton, she's performed to sold-out crowds at Carnegie Hall,
recorded seven albums, starred in a major film, raised two
environmental-activist children, been married to Prolman for 21 years, and
continues to be amorously courted with fresh, organically-grown roses every
week.
The OrganicStyle.com Valentine's Collection includes:
World's Tallest Roses ($249.95 / 1 dozen, $249.95) -- Make a BIG
impression with these spectacular, 5-6 feet tall roses! As seen on TV when
Christina Aguilera presented them to Ellen DeGeneres, and when they crowned
the Queen's float at the Rose Parade in 2007 and 2008!
Freedom(R): A Rose in Honor of Rosa Parks (1 dozen, $49.95) -- Celebrate
Valentine's Day, Black History Month and the birthday of Rosa Parks, the
mother of the modern day Civil Rights movement. 10% of the proceeds are
donated to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, which
was co-founded by Mrs. Parks in 1987 to motivate youth to reach their highest
potential. This variety has vibrant red petals, minimal thorns and lasts a
long time in the vase.
Wanted (1 dozen, $49.95) -- Exclusively at OrganicStyle.com, this
gorgeous, highly unusual, Fair Trade certified red rose will delight the most
discriminating rose lover! Dark velvety red in color, the heavily ruffled and
densely packed petals of "Wanted" are reminiscent of a Southern belle's ball
gown -- and just as beautiful!
Cherry Love (2 dozen, $69.95) -- Cherry Love is a rose that will take your
loved ones breath away. It has a very large head with dark ruby red, velvety
petals, and this variety has a spectacular opening like a colossal garden
rose!
Velvet Heart Artisan Chocolates ($39.95) -- Sweeten your Valentine's even
more with this stylish red velvet heart-shaped box of gourmet chocolate! Each
box contains 17 pieces of hand-decorated, heart-shaped ganache (soft centered
truffles) made from single origin, fair trade Costa Rican chocolate. Each
classic heart contains three gourmet flavors: sweet and tart Bing Cherry
ganache, creamy white Madagascar Vanilla Bean, and paisley-shaped Jamaican
spice caramels.
Eco Floral Certifications at a Glance:
-- Organic is defined and regulated by the USDA. Organic is an ecological
farming system that builds rich, fertile soil and uses natural defense
mechanisms to combat pests and plant diseases.
-- Sustainable standards address the farm management practices relating
to the environment, the farm workers and the ecology of the farm.
Verfiflora(TM) is America's first Green Label certification standard
for the floral industry.
-- Fair Trade Certified is a growing, international movement which
ensures that producers in poor countries get a fair deal. This means a
fair price for their goods (one that covers the cost of production and
guarantees a living income), long-term contracts which provide real
security; and for many, support to gain the knowledge and skills that
they need to develop their businesses and increase sales.
-- Biodynamic is a well respected agricultural practice and the oldest
sustainable system in the Western world. The biodynamic system views
the farm as a self-sustaining organism within the surrounding
ecosystem. It emphasizes animals as part of the ecosystem and takes
into account the soil, earth, atmosphere, and cosmos.

Valentine's Day and Floral Stats:
-- 214 million (nearly 18 million dozen) roses are being grown for
Valentine's Day sales in the U.S.
-- In 2008, Veriflora -- the leading sustainable flower certification --
will certify more than 1 billion stems.
-- Valentine's Day is #1 in holiday flower sales, accounting for 36%
of sales transactions, and 40% of dollar volume.

About Organic Style Ltd.:
Organic Style Ltd. is the parent company for several leading eco-brands
providing inspiring products that uphold the well-being of the planet and
humankind. Brands include OrganicStyle.com (http://www.OrganicStyle.com), an
online eco-boutique; Organic Style Magazine (http://www.OrganicStyleMag.com);
Organic Bouquet (OrganicBouquet.com), America's pioneer of organic and
certified sustainably-grown flowers; and Ecoflowers.com
(http://www.ecoflowers.com), the wholesale floral division serving upscale
retailers, hotels, spas and florists.
Media: photos, interview, and information, please contact:
Michael Straus, President
Straus Communications
415-777-1170 x 302
Michael@StrausCom.com

SOURCE Organic Style Ltd.

Michael Straus, President of Straus Communications, +1-415-777-1170, ext. 302,
Michael@StrausCom.com, for Organic Style Ltd.