Australian Made / Australian Grown

June 16, 2008:Australian food and wine exporters impress US buyers

Consumers around the world have a hunger for all things Australian. The interest in Australia and the goods we produce was highlighted at the American National Restaurant Association Show, an enormous exhibition of food and wine with more than 70,000 buyers from 115 countries.

Among the many exhibitors were a number of Australian businesses keen to export or increase their exports to the US. The Australian pavilion used the famous green and gold stylised kangaroo logo to identify these exhibitors as Australian and attracted much attention from key buyers and important food media. The pavilion highlighted some of Australia’s best produce including wine, nuts, seafood, meat, beer, spices, oils, truffles and chocolates.

The Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign’s participation in the show and the use of the much-loved logo is part of the Campaign’s export promotions in a number of countries and regions. The promotions include both tradeshows and in-store promotions in important markets such as the US, China, the Middle East and Canada.

The logo, which is already recognised by 98 per cent of Australian consumers and trusted over any other country of origin identifier by 86 per cent, is growing internationally and viewed by consumers in markets such as the US as a symbol that identifies Australian quality goods.

To learn more about how to use the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo or participate in Australian Made, Australian Grown export promotions, please call the AMAG office on 1800 350 520.

March 6, 2008: Export promotion underway

In November the Campaign signed a new agreement with the federal Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research to “build export sales, by both existing and new exporters, using the (Australian Made, Australian Grown) logo”.

This is an exciting project for the Campaign and Australian exporters because it is all about further strengthening the impact of the symbol that for 21 years has helped build the presence of Australian goods in international markets.

The project will involve a series of promotional activities in selected overseas markets and also the domestic Australian market. Its success will be measured by the increase in sales of products using the logo in those markets. Embedding the logo into the export strategy of exporters and trade promoters such as Government and associations/grower groups, is the broader objective – establishing it as the de facto country of origin product symbol for Australia.

The project will run for three years and the initial countries identified in the grant deed include the USA, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand. With funding and in-kind support from the Government, the Campaign and exporters, the project will total in the order of $5.4M over the 3 years.

Consideration will be given to alternative markets if opportunities are identified by the strategic partners the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign will be working with - subject to approval by the Department.

One such partner is Austrade and a range of retail promotions in high-end specialty food chains across the USA, to be supported by PR generated by another of the Campaign’s USA partners, Crocmedia, is already on the drawing boards. Information will be sent to all licensees as soon as the schedule is finalised.

The detail of the three year campaign is being developed now and information will be sent to licensees advising them of opportunities as they emerge. The Strategic plan can be downloaded by clicking here.

An early deliverable in the project is to accurately identify the export activities of Campaign licensees. A telephone survey to gather this information is being undertaken in late February.

LICENSEE EXPORT SURVEY
Licensees will shortly be contacted by telephone to take part in a survey about their export activities or intentions.

The survey is part of our export promotion project and will provide us with valuable information to better assist licensees market their products overseas. We are required to do this survey each year as part of our funding agreement with the federal Government.

The survey will only take about 5 minutes to complete. Companies participating in the survey will be placed in a draw to win an Australian made gourmet food hamper.

For more information, please call Lisa Crowe on 1800 350 520.

October 25, 2007: Campaign Receives $2.7M export grant

The Campaign welcomes this week’s announcement of a $2.7M export grant to further assist the Campaign in its global promotions of the famous green and gold logo. The three year grant will assist the Campaign in continuing the promotions in the US and Thailand as well as expand these promotions to markets such as Canada, the Middle East and the UK.

“This grant will help us further promote Australian products to consumers around the world. Our logo is recognised by 98% of Australian consumers and trusted over any other country of origin identifier. Research findings from our recently completed export project has shown that consumers in export markets highly value our products and view our symbol as a trustworthy and official symbol for Australia,” says Ian Harrison, Chief Executive of the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign.

The grant was announced by the Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, who congratulated the Campaign on its previous three year export project, which was completed earlier this year and saw participating licensees experience growth in sales during supermarket promotions in upmarket supermarket chains in LA and in shopping centres in Bangkok.

More information about the grant and how to benefit from these new promotions will be disseminated following completion of a signed contract with the Government. To view the Government's press release, please click here.

September 24, 2007: LICENSEE WINS TELSTRA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign licensee Brookfarm has taken out the prestigious Telstra Australian Business of the Year Award. The NSW business famous for its macadamia products shares the award with SRA Information Technology.

Brookfarm produces 10 to 12 tonnes of muesli every week and sells its range of products to independent outlets here and in selected export markets around the world. The business has actively participated in the Australian Made, Australian Grown’s export project in USA and has already won several national and international awards.

The Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign congratulates Brookfarm on its outstanding achievement.

For more information about Brookfarm , please click here.

August 2, 2007: CONSUMERS WANT TO BUY AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE: RESEARCH

Research conducted by Roy Morgan Research for the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign shows that an overwhelming majority of consumers want to buy Australian fresh and packaged produce.

The research, conducted during July and released today, shows that a whopping 89% of Australians believe it to be 'very important' (67%) or 'important' (22%) that the fresh food they buy is Australian.

"These are very big numbers," says Ian Harrison, Chief Executive of the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign.

“We know from previous research that 98% of consumers recognise our logo and that they trust it over any other country of origin identifier, but this new research highlights just how important it is for consumers to buy Australian fresh and packaged produce,” says Ian Harrison, Chief Executive of the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign.

The research also gives an interesting insight into the reasons behind Australians being so strong in their preference for Australian produce.

"While more than a third of consumers have more confidence in Australian grown produce and believe it to be fresher, the most commonly cited reason for buying Australian is to support local farmers, fishermen and businesses," explains Ian Harrison.

"There seems to be very strong support among Australian consumers for their rural counterparts, with 74% of consumers citing their support for these groups in their decision for buying Australian grown."

Close to nine out of ten Australians believe it to be ‘important’ or ‘very important’ that the fresh food they buy is Australian and 82% of consumers find it ‘important’ or ‘very important’ that the processed food they consume is Australian.

Perhaps surprising to some, price difference between imported and locally grown produce is not the most common reason consumers choose to buy imports.

While 34% of consumers chose to buy imported fresh or processed foods when these are cheaper than locally grown items, a much larger proportion of consumers (46%) say they buy these imported goods simply because an Australian equivalent is not available.

For more information about the research, please call the Campaign office on 1800 350 520.

JULY 30, 2007: AUSTRALIAN GROWN LICENSEE, BROOKFARM, ANNOUNCED NSW TELSTRA NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Bangalow based Brookfarm have won this years coveted Telstra NSW Business of the Year. The awards were announced at The Westin Hotel in Sydney on Friday 27 July.

“We are passionate about what we do and how we do it and we are so fortunate to have such a great team of people who help us bring it all together. This award is a reflection of their hard work and commitment – we could not have progressed this far without them,” says Pam Brook, who still oversees all stages of manufacture and product development.

Brookfarm is Australia’s leading producer of Gourmet Macadamia Products. In November 2000 Pam and Martin Brook began selling their unique range at the local Bangalow Markets. Today the business exports the award winning Muesli, First Cold Pressed Macadamia Oils and Oven Baked Macadamia Nuts to the world – countries including USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Scandinavia, Japan, Hong Kong and New Zealand. The range sells to quality food retailers, International Airlines, Cafes and Quality Hotels. All products are made in their own food grade factory in the Byron Bay Hinterland.

“We really wanted to create a business that showcased the very best of Australian made food products – for us it didn’t make sense just growing macadamias – It was all about what you did with these beautiful tasting and healthy nuts,” explains Martin Brook, joint founder of Brookfarm.

Brookfarm employs 17 people and has won more awards for their range than any other macadamia producer in the world. In 2006 Brookfarm won 7 medals at the Royal Sydney Fine Food awards and in July this year Brookfarm’s Macadamia Oil infused with Lemon Myrtle was voted by a panel of International judges to be on of the four most outstanding oils in the world. Pam and Martin were presented with the Silver Sofi TM award from NASFT (The National Association for the Speciality Food Trade) in New York.

As the recipient of the Telstra NSW Business of the Year Award, Bookfarm will now progress to the National finals in Sydney on September 21. Brookfarm also took home the 2007 MYOB Business award.

Brookfarm was an active participant in the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign's promotions in the US this year.

JULY 13, 2007: LABELLING ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING PARALLEL IMPORTED GOODS

By Graeme Samuel, Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Walk into a budget supermarket or discount store and one of the first differences you might notice is that many of the products on offer are not quite the same as what you would expect to find in one of the major chain stores. In fact, depending on the shop, a large number of items, including foods, books, cleaning products, CDs and other goods can vary slightly not only in design but also price.

One of the reasons for these differences is so-called parallel or grey importing which allows local retailers to substitute locally sourced products with cheaper goods made for overseas markets. In fact, many of the low prices that consumers enjoy are the direct result of shops sourcing certain products from cheaper overseas suppliers or manufacturers – both arising from the direct availability of cheaper imports and the competitive pressure they bring to local products.

Generally, this is a positive for small businesses offering these goods, as it means they can potentially offer more choice of products and lower prices to their customers.

But there are a number of issues businesses also need to consider before offering overseas versions of products to customers.

Many large, multinational companies manufacture different products under the same or similar name around the world, and while the products might look the same or very similar, there can be subtle differences such as the taste or contents of some foods. Where goods brought in from overseas sit alongside the local equivalent, they should be labelled accordingly, disclosing the difference. Failing to do so may mislead customers.

Models of goods and compliance with local conditions can also raise issues. Electronic goods sold in the United States, Asia or other regions might differ slightly to the same model sold in Australia. This can be due to differing power systems between the countries, or particular features being designed to appeal to American or Asian customers, rather than Australians.

Labelling standards also differ between countries, and Australia has very specific requirements that protect Australian consumers. Many parallel imported goods are required to carry prominent labels explaining to consumers where they come from and differences they may need to be aware of.

Some parallel imported products may have the potential to mislead customers who believe they are buying Australian made goods and supporting local jobs, where in fact that might not be the case. If in doubt, this should be clearly marked.

Importing similar goods at cheaper prices can, however, prompt some manufacturers and suppliers of domestically produced goods to react illegally to protect their share of the market.

Several Australian record companies were penalised in 2002 shortly after changes to copyright laws cleared the way for cheaper, parallel imported CDs to be sold legally in Australia. The companies involved were penalised for threatening to halt supply of CDs to some Australian retailers unless they stopped selling the cheaper parallel imported CDs.

Companies abusing their market power to pressure retailers is prohibited under the Trade Practices Act and the ACCC will take action to enforce the law. Where retailers feel they are being victimised for legally importing parallel goods, they have every right to complain to the ACCC and should do so.

The main issue for businesses selling overseas versions of local products is to ensure they are clearly explaining the differences to their customers.

As long as the differences are clearly explained and customers understand they are not buying the local version of a product, parallel imports can be a win-win for buyers and sellers.

Businesses wanting more information should contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502, visit the website www.accc.gov.au or call the Campaign office on 1800 350 520.

JUNE 21, 2007: AUSTRALIAN MADE CLAIMS MISLEADING

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has found two companies guilty of making misleading or deceptive “made in Australia” claims on complementary medicine products.

Careline Australia Pty Ltd and Aussia Australia Pty Ltd have both admitted to labelling products as “Australian Made” when they were actually manufactured in New Zealand. The products included squalene, propolis and royal jelly capsules.

Both companies had used the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo on their products.

Chief Executive of the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign, Ian Harrison, said that the licences of both companies to use the logo on their products had been cancelled.

“The Australian Made, Australian Grown logo is the most recognised and trusted country of origin symbol for Australian products,” Mr Harrison said today.

“It is disappointing when companies trade on consumer trust in the logo to gain an unfair commercial advantage. Australian complementary medicines attract a premium in export markets, because of Australia’s reputation for high manufacturing standards.”

To use the famous green and gold Australian Made, Australian Grown logo, businesses must register products and produce with the Campaign and sign a statutory declaration that the registered goods meet the strict criteria set out in the Campaign’s Code of Practice.

The Campaign conducts independent audits of its licensees and Ian Harrison said the Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign would continue to work with the ACCC to expose misleading and deceptive labelling practices in the industry.

JUNE 1, 2007: AUSTRALIAN GROWN LAUNCHED

The Campaign is pleased to launch an exciting initiative which will mean Australian produce can now carry the logo with the claim "Australian Grown".

Australian Grown is a new labelling scheme for fresh and packaged goods developed by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in conjunction with the Australian food industry.

The centrepiece of the new scheme is the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo (formerly the Australian Made logo). This gives Australian Grown immediate market presence.

The famous green and gold kangaroo is the most trusted and recognised country of origin symbol for Australia and has been used in the domestic and global markets for over 20 years. It is a powerful marketing tool for business and can be found on close to 10,000 products.

With the introduction of Australian Grown, the logo is now also helping Australian farmers, growers and processors effectively market their produce as Australian.

The Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign is a not-for-profit, collective marketing effort. It is independent and run by business for business, with the aim of assisting Australian businesses to effectively brand their produce and products as Australian and as a result increase sales here and globally. The Campaign is experiencing record growth in new licensee numbers.

The Australian Made, Australian Grown logo can only be used on products and produce that meet the criteria set out in the Campaign’s revised Code of Practice AND which are registered with the Campaign.

The criteria for using the logo with the words ‘Australian Made’ and ‘Product of Australia’ are unchanged. However, the revised Code clarifies that canning or simple preserving processes associated with packaging will not be considered to be substantial transformation and therefore will not be eligible for the ‘Australian Made’ wording.

The revised Code now incorporates criteria for using ‘Australian Grown’ and, where a product contains imported components, a qualified ‘Australian Grown’ claim.

JUNE 5 2007: AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS AND PRODUCE PROMOTED IN LOS ANGELES

A range of foods bearing the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo went on sale at Gelson’s supermarkets in Southern California on the 9th May, 2007.

The products are from some of Australia’s most talented producers including Beechworth Honey, Brookfarm, G’Day Gourmet Tuna and Valley Produce Company.

During May, ‘Australian Made’ displays were prominently located on row-ends in all Gelson’s supermarkets. A series of tastings and demos were held in 15 key locations.

From June, these products take their place in the appropriate aisle to compete with other products in their category, the Australian Made, Australian Grown green and gold logo a beacon to shoppers looking for quality and unique flavours.

The Australian made products were launched at a media preview event in West Hollywood on the 8th of May. Senior Australian Trade Commissioner, Kylie Hargreaves was in attendance as well as media from Bon Appetit, What’s Cooking radio, OK! Magazine and Beverley Press.

Australian celebrity chefs, Vic Cherikoff and Benjamin Christie, and award-winning cookbook author Sally James came together for an antipodean culinary extravaganza; creating a unique menu for guests, including:

Angel Hair Paperbark Smoke Pasta Topped with G’day Gourmet Chili Tuna with Lemon Myrtle
Australian Lamb Cutlets Crusted in Wildfire Spice & Kashmiri Chili Spiced Macadamia Nuts with Warm Illawarra Plum Sauce
Wattleseed Pavlova with Beechworth Honey & Brookfarm Toasted Muesli

Shelf space in a large chain like Gelson’s (www.gelsons.com) represents a big step forward for specialty producers who find it difficult to get into mainstream retail outlets. Australian Made, Australian Grown Campaign in conjunction with Austrade helps facilitate entry through existing relationships with distributors and retail outlets, in the US and beyond.

For more information contact:

Ian Harrison: 03 8662 5390 / 0418 857 172

Vibeke Stisen: 03 8662 5390 / 0448 110 301

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