Country-of-origin review: Flower industry gets a look in

Should country-of-origin labelling be applied to non-food products such as flowers? That’s the question being asked as part of a review.

A worker picks roses at a flower farm in Kenya.

TO the untrained eye, there is little differentiating Kenyan roses with an Australian-grown bunch.

But Australian consumers might soon be privy to the origins of their fresh-cut flowers if a Federal Government review of Australia’s country-of-origin labelling system is expanded to include products other than food.

The review comes two years after the labelling scheme was introduced to most foods in an effort to make it easier for consumers to purchase locally made or grown products. The legislated review is designed to test whether the system was working as intended.

A discussion paper has also flagged its extension to other product types. “For example, industry groups often advocate for greater information about the origin of fresh-cut flowers to be more readily available to consumers.”

The Australian Flower Council has for years argued that Australians were becoming increasingly discerning when it came to their floral purchases and they are largely unaware of their origin and had limited ways of finding out.

The National Farmers’ Federation has backed their call. The organisation’s general manager of rural affairs, Adrienne Ryan, said many consumers would be unaware that Australia imported cut flowers from more than 19 countries.

“Mandatory country-of-origin labelling will help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions by understanding where their flowers are grown,” Dr Ryan said. “A clear and consistent approach would be welcomed by the farm sector.”

Lorelie Merton. Picture: ZOE PHILLIPS

Dahlia grower Lorelie Merton, of Florelie Seasonal Flowers in Bungaree, said buying local was also an easy way for consumers to reduce the risk of foreign pests coming into the country.

“It’s important to support our local industry and economy. Locally grown flowers are more sustainable, you’re not paying for the flying miles, no plastic packaging and they’re fresher,” Ms Merton said.

But not everyone in the industry is behind the push. Rodney Richards, general manager of the Lynch Group, the main supplier of local and imported fresh-cut and potted plants to Australian supermarkets, said the complexity of the industry would make implementing country-of-origin labelling unworkable.

“We believe there are many marketing and product-driven initiatives that can continue to drive sales of local flowers that are far more beneficial to our industry than the application of country of origin labelling,” Mr Richards said.

A discussion paper and survey are now open for public consultation until September 11. The review is expected to be complete mid-2021.

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