- The Australian dairy industry is at risk of losing the names of over 50 varieties of cheese placing future production and sale at risk if Geographic Indication (GI) protections are imposed in Australia.
- A GI system only allows products to use certain names if they are produced in a specific region. For many years the EU has been intent on using GI systems to monopolise the use of common names to favour European producers.
- The potential direct cost of Geographic Indications (GI) extension for Australian dairy producers is estimated to be between at least $77-95 million AUD per annum for the first three years, and up to 1,000 jobs lost.
- Under the proposed EU GI system, the livelihood of Aussie farmers, and the regional communities where many dairy product manufacturing facilities are located, could be significantly impacted.
Australians are being urged to stand behind cheesemakers whose livelihoods are under attack as the European Union (EU) seeks to impose Geographic Indications (GI), as part of the Free Trade Agreement negotiations. If the EU is successful, this could have an enormous negative impact on many Australian dairy manufacturers who produce high quality locally made dairy products, with their right to use common cheese names restricted or removed.
Under an EU style GI system, Australian cheesemakers risk losing the right to call their product a name they have used for generations – this would result in Aussie favourites such as feta, parmesan, haloumi and other more exotic flavours such as pecorino, neufchatel, and gruyere all potentially in danger.
Indeed, the EU wants to go a step further and restrict the right of cheesemakers to highlight their cultural heritage by banning the use of certain colours, fonts and other branding which it believes could ‘evoke’ European heritage – potentially extending to Greek style yoghurt as well.
The EU’s trade restrictive GIs regime would impact many local cheese brands and artisans and cost them an estimated $77-95 million per annum in the early years of the GIs regime’s implementation.
Not only will the livelihood of Aussie farmers be adversely impacted but the economies of regional communities where many dairy product manufacturing facilities are located could be impacted for many years to come with up to 1,000 jobs across Australia estimated to be lost as a result of unfair and unjustified GI protections.
ADF President and ADIC Chair, Rick Gladigau, said Australia has a rich tradition of cheese making and it’s a core part of our food culture built upon our nation’s proud multicultural heritage.
“The impact of a strict agreement on GIs cannot be underestimated,” said Mr Gladigau.
“Forcing cheesemakers to change the name of their product and denying them the right to use their branding due to evoking European heritage is unacceptable. The effects of this will be greatly felt when it comes to farmgate prices, demand for raw milk, and the unfair displacement of local Australian producers and quality made products, putting up to 1,000 jobs at risk.”
“Many of the GI at risk cheeses have been made in Australia for generations. We must protect not only our beloved cheeses but support the cheesemakers who have been making quality products for generations – small and large.
“Australia is a multicultural country, and our food culture is a pivotal part of our identity that reflects our proud migrant history. Many European immigrants have built successful cheese businesses that supply Aussies with great tasting, nutritious, cheese.”
Cheesemaker Mauro Montalto from Floridia Cheese said the introduction of GIs on European cheese will result in more overseas products at our supermarkets, taking up prime space Australian producers currently hold.
“Our family has been making cheese in Australia for more than 65 years, and the EU’s attempts to restrict common food names is in one word – unjustified. This new system privileges one set of producers, namely those in the European Union, over local Australian producers.
“If the EU is successful, many family-run specialty cheese manufacturers, like Floridia Cheese, will be unable to use the cheese names that they have been using for decades, and forced to rebrand their products. Further to that, cheesemakers will be put under competition from cheaper European imports – the effects of such changes will be felt for many years to come, and one we cannot turn our backs on, including the potential closure of Australian businesses.
“We’ve seen the EU GI system challenged within the EU itself, and we know it has been inconsistently applied with trading partners such as Canada, NZ, and Japan, in the past.”
Show your support for Australian cheesemakers against an unfair EU GI system by buying locally made parmesan, feta, pecorino and other quality Australian made cheeses.
Learn more at www.dairy.com.au/gi.
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For media enquiries please contact:
Peter Somerville, Currie, peter@curriecommunications.com.au +61 (0) 403 868 984
Mark Paterson, Currie, mark@curriecommunications.com.au +61 (0) 409 411 110