Ausbuy: Palm oil labels show foreign tails wagging Australian dog

AUSTRALIAN-owned business advocacy group Ausbuy claims the dispute over labelling products utilising palm oil is another example of other countries being “the tail wagging the Australian dog”.  

Ausbuy CEO, Lynne Wilkinson said the latest issue was a break by New Zealand companies in complying with Australian labelling laws that now insisted on identifying products using palm oil. The issue is that palm oil is considered by many Australian consumers to be harvested un-sustainably in Malaysia and Indonesia.

“Despite years reviewing our labels on a number of issues, Australia’s independent Senators advocated that the use of palm oil be included on our labels and gained agreement here,” Ms Wilkinson said.

“New Zealand shares our labelling laws, but only as long as it suits them. They will not cooperate with Australia on this matter.

“Many consumers are concerned that palm oil is harvested un-sustainably from Malaysia and Indonesia,” she said.

“Given that Australian Senators have been trying to have Country of Origin on our labels for nearly five years it appears we do what we are told by off shore interests all too often.”

Ms Wilkinson said it was symptomatic of the wider problem facing Australia, with the constant loss of trade and ownership to foreign-owned entities.

“Inertia reigns here. Imports replace our products on our shelves aided by our open door policies, and imported ingredients are substituted for our own home grown produce and we do not know from where.

“We rush to sign Free Trade Agreements with countries that set the rules, or own the assets here and will be selling to themselves. How does that benefit Australia?”

“Each time a business or farm is sold off shore we pay the price in rising national debt and reduced income from assets that once benefited Australia. And when our factories close we lose jobs, skills and the critical mass in yet another industry.

“As noble as our intentions might be in the global world, if we do not look after home, it will not be here to look after us,” she said.

Ausbuy is the brand developed by the Australian Owned Companies Institute Ltd to lobby government and encourage consumers to favour Australian owned companies and their products. Its method is to give Australians information about which businesses are Australian owned “so that they can make balanced decisions about where they spend their hard earned dollars, and understand the consequences for now and future generations”.

http://www.ausbuy.com.au/

ends