Take the Aussie Made challenge this Australia Day

The Australian Made Campaign is calling on consumers to ‘take the Australian Made challenge’ this Australia Day long weekend, and stop for a few moments to look for the green-and-gold kangaroo logo when shopping.

“This time of year consumers are particularly conscious of supporting local farmers and manufacturers, but just because a product sports a map or flag – even if that product is a map or flag – doesn’t mean it has been made or grown here,” Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, Ian Harrison warns.

“We encourage consumers to look more closely at the products they are purchasing, and make Australia Day a starting point for new buying behaviours – ‘take the Australian Made challenge’.”

“Most products – and all food products – carry a country-of-origin label, and sometimes it’s just about getting in the habit of looking for it. We think consumers can have fun with this challenge, and might even discover a new family favourite for future purchases in the process,” Mr Harrison said.

“If every Australian replaced one item in their weekly shop with a locally made or grown alternative, we would see a tangible improvement to living standards across the country – for the benefit of all.”

The Australian Made, Australian Grown kangaroo logo is Australia’s registered country-of-origin trademark for genuine Aussie products and produce. More than 2000 businesses are registered to use it on approximately 15,000 products.

Mr Harrison’s tips for buying local this weekend include:

• Looking for the  logo when shopping in-store and online
• Reading the fine print in the absence of a logo – looking for the words ‘Australian Made’ ‘Australian Grown or ‘Australian Seafood’
• Searching the online product directory at www.australianmade.com.au; and lastly,
• Being wary of colourful packaging, maps, flags and Aussie animals, which can be designed to mislead

“We encourage consumers to ‘take the Australia Made challenge’ and enjoy great Aussie products and produce from our farmers and manufacturers this Australia Day long weekend,” Mr Harrison said.