Forgotten flowers: Industry’s plea for country of origin labels

Source: Weekly Times. Words: Madeleine Stuchbury Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

May 8, 2023.

Australian flower growers say they are being ignored by the federal agriculture department, as their calls to review the decision to exclude cut flowers and foliage from country of origin labelling falls on deaf ears.

It’s prompted the peak body for flower growers to go it alone, initiating its own origin labelling system at a cost to growers.

Green and gold rubber bands touting an ‘Australian Grown’ label are available for flower growers via Flower Industry Australia.

FIA chief executive Anna Jabour said the rubber bands were an “interim solution” as the industry continued to advocate for flowers to be added to the mandatory country of origin labelling scheme.

“It enables Australian people, florists and wholesale markets to easily identify Australian flowers,” Ms Jabour said.

“Almost every grower and florist uses rubber bands on their flowers.”

Ms Jabour said the bands were a stopgap measure, with the aim to demonstrate to the government “that there are some common sense solutions” available.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt’s office directed queries to the Department of Agriculture, which in turn directed questions to the trade department. The Weekly Times is awaiting a response.

A submission made by FIA in February called on the federal government to review the decision to exclude cut flowers and foliage from the labelling scheme, citing a cost-benefit analysis that found “everyone $1 of costs incurred generated $3.30 in benefits”.

Mount Gisborne flower grower Anna Sfyris has ordered the Australian grown bands for use at her flower farm, 302 Flowers.

She said it was important to support locally-grown blooms, for both the industry and the country.

“The bands are a good idea, they’re biodegradable, it fits with our minimal waste philosophy, and it also increases awareness with the consumer about where their flowers are coming from, and the health of the plant,” Ms Sfyris said.

She said consumers were increasingly asking questions about the provenance of their flowers.

“And florists themselves … I have a florist who sources from local farms. It’s about making informed choices.”

Shadow agriculture minister David Littleproud said labelling of flowers would give consumers “an assurance that they are buying an Australian product”.

“From a financial perspective it provides a better line of sight for consumers, so they can make the choice of supporting Australian farmers when they go to buy flowers. Consumers have a right to know where the product they are buying originates from,” Mr Littleproud said.

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