Editorial: O Canada
OPINION: The Canadian government's love affair with its lifestyle dairy farmers has got it into trouble once again.
The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) says it’s unhappy with the EU over its moves to monopolise the global cheese market.
Executive director Kimberly Crewther says the EU has registered the Danish cheese Danbo as a protected geographic indication (GI), meaning that the name can only be used by cheese made in Denmark.
But she says Danbo is a variety of cheese, not one connected to a particular geographic region or town and says this move has heightened concern in DCANZ that the EU is adding new trade barriers to monopolise value in the global cheese market. She says while NZ is not a big producer of Danbo there is a principle at stake and risk of such a policy expanding.
“Can we now expect the EU to seek similar protection for other common cheese names, which have been manufactured and exported by producers in NZ and elsewhere for many years? We don’t know where this will stop but you can think about a number of other common cheeses that have European origins like parmesan and mozzarella.
“We are also awaiting a ruling on Havarti and Teleme which are cheeses increasingly seen on NZ supermarket shelves as some of our boutique cheesemakers’ best,” she says.
Crewther says DCANZ has no objection to the EU’s extension of GI protections for cheeses named for their genuinely unique origins in particular locations. But she says in the case of Danbo, every reasonable consideration for a cheese name to be considered a generic varietal term is present. She notes that this includes past acknowledgement by Danish dairy industry bodies that Danbo is a generic cheese name and that Uruguay is a significant global producer, as a result of Danish assistance to develop manufacturing of Danbo in Uruguay.
“Previously the Dutch sought to register gouda and edam. We went through a consultation process with them and it was agreed that they would register Holland gouda and Holland edam so it has that clear geographic reference point. The NZ industry makes edam; we don’t argue that it is Holland edam at all,” she says.
Crewther says DCANZ is pressuring the EU to change its stance and has also garnered the support of other cheese makers around the world as well as the NZ government to stop the EU’s moves.
New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy Hamish Marr believes the outlook for the dairy sector remains strong.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) awards.
OPINION: The Government's latest move to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable is welcome, and long overdue.
Global Dairy Trade (GDT) and Arla Foods have announced that Arla will begin offering European-sourced skim milk powder (SMP) on GDT Pulse from May 2025 as part of an extension to the GDT Pulse pilot.
Farmers in the Australian state of New South Wales will soon be able to use virtual fencing and herding technology to boost farm productivity.
Hawke's Bay teenage entrepreneur Hugo Moffett is helping the rural community access cheaper school uniforms, all without leaving their homes.
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