Trade Minister: Food names an ‘emotional issue’ for Australian producers

The Trade Minister will urge the EU to allow Australian producers to use names like prosecco and feta.

The Trade and Tourism Minister will fight for the right of Australian producers to use names such as prosecco and feta for food products.

A pending free trade agreement between Australia and the European Union could ban Australian producers from using those names because they’re “geographical indications”, and only foods produced from those native regions can use the product name.

Don Farrell is this month heading to Europe where he’ll continue trade talks with his EU counterparts.

Trade Minister Don Farrell says the issue is an emotional one for Australian producers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In a speech to the National Press Club (NPC) on Thursday, the senator said Australians were already comfortable with product names like prosecco and feta.

“In the aftermath of World War II, we accepted lots and lots of European migrants to this country,” he said.

“In many cases they bought their food and their wine. In that period since … they have developed their own industries in Australia.

“This is a way in which they have maintained links with their mother country, so for them it is not just an economic issue, it is an emotional issue.

“I have been in the room with prosecco makers who have simply burst into tears at the prospect of losing access to that name because they feel so strongly attached to the name.”

The senator said he’d tried to explain this during previous meetings with the EU.

“What will be the outcome of the final negotiations, I can‘t tell you that at the moment,” he told the NPC, “but I continue to say to the Europeans … you have to understand this is not just an economic interest issue for Australia, it is also an emotional issue.”

The EU wants to stop Australian producers of products like prosecco, feta, and parmesan from using those names because they’re ‘geographical indications’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Mr Farrell also used his speech to urge the nation’s businesses to not rely too heavily on China when it comes to export markets.

He said Australian businesses needed to “continue their diversification plans” despite the easing of tensions with China.

“We are a trusted partner. We are safe and reliable. We keep our promises and play by the rules,” Mr Farrell said in his address.

“We will continue to be the government of free, fair and open trade where the rules of the game are known and respected.”

The senator said the Labor government “inherited a raft of fractured relationships”, with a “decade of inaction” resulting in Australia trailing the rest of the world.

Mr Farrell met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao in Beijing in May to discuss building a pathway to ending the nations’ trade wars.

In his NPC address, Mr Farrell said China was now importing Australian timber, and barley was “the next cab off the rank”.

“We‘re willing to withdraw our WTO (World Trade Organisation) application in exchange for the lifting of 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley,” he said.

The federal government in April temporarily suspended its sanctions complaint against China as Beijing undertakes a three-month review of tariffs on Australian barley.

“If we find ourselves in a situation where having shown an act of goodwill to suspend our WTO application and we don’t get the result we want, we have made it clear to the Chinese government that we will resume that application,” Mr Farrell said.

Tensions with China have eased since a meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Bali G20 summit in November and Foreign Minister Penny Wong visiting Beijing the following month.

Mr Farrell’s appearance comes one day after a free-trade agreement with the UK kicked in, and trade agreements are on the table with India following a recent Australian visit from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thursday’s NPC address coincided with Senator Farrell’s one-year anniversary as special minister of state and minister for trade and tourism.