Information please: farmers, manufacturers and generic brands?

[Kazbah]

we watch landline, and they often have info about farmers selling direct. Peanutter, I've sent you a link for citrus.

[krystals]

Our entire area used to sell seville oranges to the australian big brands and supermarkets until about a decade ago when the supermarkets starting running the show. The valley where I live pretty much supplied Australia with it's marmalade- then, just as in the story that Junglemum shared, the supermarkets started offering way less, and wouldn't buy from the companies our farmers were selling to- so now all of our farmers have had to change their hundred year business to suit whatever they can actually sell. I haven't said this well, but I won't buy homebrand frozen veggies, canned fruit or veg, or conserve. As far as I know, they do the same with meat and produce....

[peanutter]

The best way to shop ethically and support Aussie farmers is to get a copy of the Ausbuy Guide. It lists all Australian owned products. This doc here is a submission made in the recent milk pricing inquiry and it outlines pretty clearly what the impact on farmers will be because of 'own brands' . Food labelling laws now state that the 'country of origin' should be listen on all products so the consumers can easily know where the product comes from. As JungleMum said, own brands will still often be from Australian farmers, but they screw them down on price so much they are essentially held to ransom, so it is the principle of it more than anything.

fantastic - I will look into this. thanks!

Thanks also, Junglemum! Really sorry to hear what happened to your friend. That's the sort of thing I'd heard of once before, but I didn't know whether it was urban legend or true. Really sorry to hear it is true Re $2 milk, no I hadn't heard ... I remember when I was little that milk was fixed price ... not sure what happens now ... will have to look into that, too ...

Leesa - same here, within reason ... we can't increase our food budget by much at the moment, but there's a few key things we cant to change our purchasing habits in, so if we start all the research now, we can start to incrementally improve!

and thanks, kazbah!

we're also giving Aussie Farmers Direct a crack at the moment ... we're happy so far.

ETA:

Thanks also krystals. Sorry to hear that happened to your area

[Astrid]

The big supermarkets put pressure on an organic meat producer DH used to deliver for. Basically, rebrand as us or we no longer buy from you. They are no longer in the major supermarkets.

Talking to the local dairy farmers, it seems to just have your brand on the shelf, you also have to sell at a reduced price to them for the own label.

Often you do find out who is the supplier, but it does change. So one year it could be an ok producer, but the following it could be someone who is not ethical supplying the homebrand.